US 6,788,470 B2Granted

Light collimating system

OwnerShih-Chou Chen, Chung-Kuang Shieh +1inventors

InventorsShih-Chou Chen, Chung-Kuang Shieh, Chih-Han Fang

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Abstract

A light collimating system includes a transparent substrate, a plurality of conic elements and a screen. Each of the conic elements has a relatively narrow light incident side to which the screen is attached and a relatively wide light emitting side attached to the transparent substrate. Each of the conic elements has several segments which are arranged to form a truncated cone with an opening angle that decreases towards the light emitting side. The screen has a plurality of transmission areas covered by the light incident sides of the conic elements. Outside the transmission areas, incoming light is reflected from the screen. Diffuse light entering the conic elements through the transmission areas of the screen is collimated by refraction and total reflection at peripheral surfaces of the conic elements, resulting in a light bundle of narrow angular intensity distribution emanating from the transparent substrate.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A light collimating system, comprising:

a plurality of conic elements, each of said conic elements being centered around a central axis which defines a longitudinal direction, and having a length and a width of less than 2 mm, further having a transverse flat light emitting side and a light incident side parallel to said light emitting side and being smaller than said light emitting side, said light incident sides and said light emitting sides of said conic elements respectively lying in common planes;
a screen connected to said light incident sides of said conic elements, said screen being divided into transmission areas that are completely covered by said light incident sides of said conic elements and a blocking area made of highly reflective material;
and
a transparent substrate to which said light emitting sides of said conic elements are attached;
wherein said plurality of conic elements, said screen and said transparent substrate form a light collimating plate having a main axis of light propagation parallel to said central axes of said plurality of conic elements and wherein said light incident side and said light emitting side of each of said conic elements have areas and an opening angle that allow for a narrow angular intensity distribution of emanating light.

2 more elements

A light collimating system, comprising:

a plurality of conic elements, each of said conic elements being centered around a central axis which defines a longitudinal direction, and having a length and a width of less than 2 mm, further having a transverse flat light emitting side and a light incident side parallel to said light emitting side and being smaller than said light emitting side, said light incident sides and said light emitting sides of said conic elements respectively lying in common planes;
said light incident sides of said conic elements serve as a screen, said screen being divided into transmission areas that are completely covered by said light incident sides of said conic elements and a blocking area made of highly reflective material;
and
a transparent substrate to which said light emitting sides of said conic elements are attached;
wherein said plurality of conic elements, said screen and said transparent substrate form a light collimating plate having a main axis of light propagation parallel to said central axes of said plurality of conic elements and wherein said light incident side and light emitting side have areas and an opening angle that allow for a narrow angular intensity distribution of emanating light.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/262,198Filed 30 Sep 2002
Published: US 2004/0061950 A11 Apr 2004
Granted: 7 Sep 2004
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G02B 6/0023
Means for improving the coupling-in of light from the light source into the light guide: provided by one optical element, or plurality thereof,…
G02B 27/30
Optical systems or apparatus not provided for by any of the groups G02B1/00 - G02B26/00, G02B30/00: collimators
G02B 6/0031
Provided by one optical element, or plurality thereof, placed between the light guide and the light source, or around the light source: reflecting…
G02B 6/0036
Provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it: 2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces