# US 2019/0377121 A1 · Luminaire module having a light guide with a redirecting end-face

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- Number: US 2019/0377121 A1
- Document ID: US20190377121A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/224,414
- Filed: 2018-12-18
- Published: 2019-12-12
- Earliest claimed: 2014-02-24
- Assignees: Quarkstar LLC
- Applicants: Quarkstar LLC
- Inventors: Louis Lerman; Ferdinand Schinagl; Allan Brent York
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190377121A1

## CPC

- G02B 6/0031: {Reflecting element, sheet or layer}
- F21S 8/04: intended only for mounting on a ceiling or the like overhead structures (F21S8/02 takes precedence; {details of ceiling bases F21V21/03})
- F21V 7/0008: {providing for indirect lighting}
- G02B 6/0035: {provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it}
- G02B 6/0045: {by shaping at least a portion of the light guide}
- G02B 6/0055: {Reflecting element, sheet or layer}
- G02B 6/0085: {Means for removing heat created by the light source from the package}
- F21Y 2103/10: comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements
- 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
- F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- 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 solid-state luminaire module includes one or more light-emitting elements (LEEs) arranged to provide light; and a light guide including a receiving end arranged to receive the light provided by the LEEs and an opposing end, a pair of opposing side surfaces extending along a length of the light guide to guide the received light in a forward direction to the opposing end, and a redirecting end-face located at the opposing end and configured to reflect the guided light—that reaches the opposing end—back into the light guide as return light, such that substantially all the return light impinges on the pair of opposing side surfaces at incident angles larger than a critical incidence angle and transmits through the pair of opposing side surfaces into the ambient as output light of the luminaire module, the output light to propagate in backward directions.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A luminaire module comprising:
one or more light-emitting elements (LEEs) arranged to provide light; and
a light guide comprising:
a receiving end and an opposing end, the receiving end arranged to receive the light provided by the LEEs;
a pair of opposing side surfaces extending along a length of the light guide between the receiving end and the opposing end, the light guide configured to guide the received light about a forward direction via reflection of the light at the pair of opposing side surfaces, along the length of the light guide to the opposing end of the light guide; and
a redirecting end-face located at the opposing end and configured to reflect the guided light that reaches the opposing end back into the light guide as return light, such that substantially all the return light impinges on at least one of the pair of opposing side surfaces at incident angles that allow transmission into the ambient as output light of the luminaire module, the output light to propagate in backward directions including obtuse angles relative to the forward direction,
wherein the guided light that reaches the opposing end propagates in directions entirely different from directions of propagation of the return light, and
wherein at least one of the opposing side surfaces is a non-planar, curved surface.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The luminaire module of claim 1, wherein substantially all the return light is transmitted into the ambient during multiple bounces at the pair of opposing side surfaces.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The luminaire module of claim 1, wherein the light guide is configured to guide the received light in a forward direction through total internal reflection (TIR) off the opposing side surfaces.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The luminaire module of claim 1, wherein
the light provided by the LEEs is in a first angular range, and
a numerical aperture of the light guide is such that the light received from the LEEs in the first angular range can be guided by the light guide through TIR off the pair of opposing side surfaces.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The luminaire module of claim 1 further comprising one or more optical couplers, wherein
the light provided by the LEEs is in a first angular range,
the optical couplers are arranged to receive the light provided by the LEEs and redirect it to the receiving end of the light guide in a second angular range, and
a numerical aperture of the light guide is such that the light received from the optical couplers in the second angular range can be guided by the light guide through TIR off the pair of opposing side surfaces.

### Claim 6

(canceled)

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The luminaire module of claim 1, wherein the return light transmits through each of the pair of opposing side surfaces as output light in a first output angular range with a propagation direction having a component anti-parallel to the forward direction.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The luminaire module of claim 1, wherein the redirecting end-face comprises one or more sawtooth-shaped sections.

### Claim at position 9

9-10. (canceled)

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The luminaire module of claim 8, wherein the sawtooth-shaped sections are symmetrical.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The luminaire module of claim 1, wherein the redirecting end-face is coated with reflecting material.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The luminaire module of claim 12, wherein the reflecting material has voids that allow light to transmit through the end face.

### Claim 14

(canceled)

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The luminaire module of claim 1, wherein both of the opposing side surfaces are non-planar, curved surfaces.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The luminaire module of claim 1, wherein the non-planar, curved surface is curved in a first plane perpendicular to the forward direction.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The luminaire module of claim 16, wherein the non-planar, curved surface is a convex surface.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The luminaire module of claim 17, wherein the convex surface defines an elliptical arc in the first plane.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The luminaire module of claim 16, wherein the non-planar, curved surface is a concave surface.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The luminaire module of claim 19, wherein the concave surface defines an elliptical arc in the first plane.

### Claim 21 (depends on 16)

The luminaire module of claim 16, wherein one of the opposing surfaces is a convex surface and the other opposing surface is a concave surface.

### Claim 22 (depends on 1)

The luminaire module of claim 1, wherein the non-planar, curved surface is a cylindrical surface, wherein a cylindrical axis defined by the cylindrical surface corresponds to the forward direction.

### Claim 23 (depends on 1)

The luminaire module of claim 1, wherein the light guide is shaped as a cylindrical shell.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The luminaire module of claim 23, wherein the cylindrical shell is an oval cylindrical shell.