Tapered multilayer luminaire devices

An optical device for collecting light from a source and for selectively outputting light to a viewer, comprising:

• a first layer having a wedge shaped cross sectional area and having an optical index of refraction n.sub.1, and a top and bottom surface converging to define at least one angle of inclination .phi., said first layer further including a back surface spanning said top and bottom surfaces, and the light exiting said first layer when the light being reflected therein decreases its angle of reflection relative to the normal to at least one of said top and bottom layer surfaces and achieves an angle of reflection less than the critical angle .theta..sub.c relative to the normal;
• an air gap layer underlying said bottom surface of said first layer and light thereby entering said air gap layer from said bottom wedge surface when the light in said first layer achieves the angle of reflection less than the critical angle of incidence characteristic of the interface between said first layer and said air gap;
• and
• light redirecting means underlying said air gap, said light redirecting means for transmitting light traversing said air gap over a controlled angular output distribution for viewing by the user over a range of angles of substantially spatially uniform intensity.

An optical device able to collect light, including light from a substantially incoherent, uncollimated light source and for selectively outputting the light, comprising:

• a first layer having an input surface capable of receiving light from said light source and an optical index of refraction n.sub.1 and including converging top and bottom layer surfaces with said input surface forming the larger thickness end of said first layer and said first layer including a varying slope for at least one of said top and bottom layer surfaces, said varying slope able to include a converging and/or diverging portion of said first layer, and the light exiting said first layer when the light being reflected therein decreasing its angle of reflection relative to a normal to at least one of said top and bottom layer surfaces and achieves an angle of reflection less than the critical angle .theta..sub.c relative to the normal,
• layer means underlying said bottom layer surface of said first layer and having an optical index of refraction n.sub.2 ;
• and
• light redirecting means underlying said layer means for selectively reflecting and transmitting light received from said layer means, at least one of said varying slope first layer and said light redirecting means providing a controlled angular, substantially spatially uniform output of the light into ambient.

An optical device above to collect light, including light from a substantially uncollimated, incoherent source and selectively outputting the light, comprising:

• a first layer having an optical index of refraction n.sub.1, said first layer having a top layer surface converging toward a bottom layer surface and an input surface spanning said top and bottom surfaces to define an input end surface forming the larger thickness end of said first layer;
• an air gap layer underlying at least said bottom surface of said first layer creating a critical angle of incidence .theta..sub.c for the light in said first layer characteristic of the interface between said bottom layer surface and said air gap thereby causing the light to enter said air gap layer upon the light being reflected in said first layer decreasing its angle of reflection relative to a normal to at least one of said top and bottom surfaces to reach an angle of reflection less than the critical angle .theta..sub.c relative to the normal;
• and
• light reflecting means underlying said air gap layer for reflecting light received from said first layer through said air gap, said light reflecting means cooperating with said first layer and said air gap to form a beam of light for output into ambient over a controlled angular distribution.

An optical device for collecting light, including a substantially uncollimated, incoherent light from a source and outputting the light, comprising:

• a first layer having a wedge shaped cross sectional area with an optical index of refraction n.sub.1, said layer having a back surface and a converging top and bottom surface with at least one angle of convergence .phi.;
• a second layer with an optical index of refraction n.sub.2 and light being input through said back surface of said first layer entering said second layer when the light being reflected in said first layer decreases its angle of reflection relative to a normal to said bottom surface to achieve an angle of reflection less than the critical angle of incidence .theta..sub.c relative to the normal with said bottom layer surface, characteristic of the interface between said bottom layer surface and said second layer;
• and
• third layer means disposed adjacent said second layer acting cooperatively with said first and second layer to control angular distribution of the light of said optical device and for outputting the light from said top layer surface.

An optical device for collecting light from a source and for selectively outputting light, comprising:

• a first layer capable of receiving light from said source and having an optical index of refraction n.sub.1 and top and bottom layer surfaces converging to define at least one angle of inclination .phi., said first layer including a back surface spanning said top and bottom layer surfaces and the light exiting said first layer when the light being reflected therein decreases its angle of reflection relative to a normal to said top and bottom layer surfaces and achieves an angle of reflection less than the critical angle .theta..sub.c relative to the normal;
• layer means including a first and second intermediate layer underlying said bottom layer surface and said top layer surface, respectively, and having an effective optical index of refraction n.sub.2a and n.sub.2b, respectively, for allowing transmission of light output from said first layer;
• and
• light redirecting means underlying said layer means, at least one of said redirecting means allowing transmission of light across the thickness of said redirecting means for selectively redirecting light output from said layer means.

An optical device for collecting light and selectively outputting the light to a viewer comprising:

• a light source;
• a first layer capable of receiving light from said source and having an optical index of refraction n.sub.1 and top and bottom layer surfaces converging to define at least one angle of inclination .phi., said first layer including a back surface spanning said top and bottom layer surfaces and the light exiting said first layer when the light being reflected therein increases its angle of reflection relative to a normal to said top and bottom layer surfaces and achieves an angle of reflection less than the critical angle .theta..sub.c relative to the normal;
• layer means underlying said first layer having an optical index of refraction n.sub.2 ;
• and
• a light redirecting layer disposed at least one of (a) overlying said first layer and (b) underlying said layer means, said light redirecting layer allowing transmission of light there across and further including facets whose angles of orientation can be constructed to vary across a planar dimension of said redirecting layer to control the angular output range of substantially uniform intensity as seen by the viewer.