High efficiency illuminator
AssigneeFord Motor Company
InventorsPrasad M. Koppolu, Amir Fallahi, Jeyachandrabose Chinniah
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An illuminator for use with a light source having a light distribution pattern within a solid angle of 2.pi. steradians. The light source comprises or includes a series of LED's or light pipes positioned at or near a focal point of a reflective surface and inclined at an angle to a focal axis of the reflective surface such that all of the light from the light source is collected and distributed by the reflective surface. Whereby the reflective surface is optimized to confine the light output only to the required photometric zones thus maximizing the efficiency of the illuminator.
Claims17
An illuminator for use with a vehicle comprising:
- a light source, said light source having a distribution pattern within a solid angle of 2.pi. steradians;
- and
- a reflective surface for collecting and distributing substantially all of the light emitted from said light source, said reflective surface having a focal point and a focal axis wherein said light source is positioned near the focal point and inclined with respect to said focal axis such that the light collected and distributed by said reflective surface does not strike said light source.
An illuminator for use with a vehicle comprising:
- a reflective surface having a focal point and a focal axis;
- a light source emitting light in a conical distribution pattern, positioned near the focal point and inclined with respect to said focal axis, said light source illuminating only said reflective surface so that said reflective surface collects and distributes substantially all of the light emitted from said light source;
- and
- said light source positioned such that the light collected and distributed by said reflective surface does not strike said light source.
A method of forming a light beam for use with a vehicle comprising,
- emitting light from a light source, said light source emitting light in a distribution pattern having a solid angle of less than 2.pi. steradians;
- collecting the light emitted from the light source on a reflective surface, said reflective surface having a focal point and a focal axis, wherein substantially all of the light emitted by said light source strikes said reflective surface;
- distributing the light from said reflective surface in a predetermined specified beam pattern;
- and
- positioning said light source near the focal point such that the light distributed from the reflective surface does not strike the light source.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.