# US 9,039,244 B2 · Illumination apparatus confining light by total internal reflection and methods of forming the same

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- Number: US 9,039,244 B2
- Document ID: US9039244B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/464,319
- Filed: 2014-08-20
- Published: 2015-01-22
- Granted: 2015-05-26
- Earliest claimed: 2011-11-16
- Assignees: Oree, Inc.
- Applicants: Yosi Shani; Dafna B. Arbiv; Baruch Schiffmann; Avner Badihi; Eran Fine; Gadi Segal
- Inventors: Yosi Shani; Dafna B. Arbiv; Baruch Schiffmann; Avner Badihi; Eran Fine; Gadi Segal
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9039244B2

## CPC

- G02B 6/0021: {for housing at least a part of the light source, e.g. by forming holes or recesses}
- F21K 9/61: using light guides
- G02B 6/0003: {the light guides being doped with fluorescent agents}
- G02B 6/0016: {Grooves, prisms, gratings, scattering particles or rough surfaces}
- G02B 6/0025: {Diffusing sheet or layer; Prismatic sheet or layer}
- G02B 6/0031: {Reflecting element, sheet or layer}
- G02B 6/0073: {Light emitting diode [LED]}
- G02B 6/0083: {Details of electrical connections of light sources to drivers, circuit boards, or the like}
- G02B 6/009: {of the light source in the package (G02B6/0021 takes precedence)}
- G02B 6/0091: {of the light source relative to the light guide (G02B6/0021 takes precedence)}
- H10H 20/8506: {Containers}
- H10H 20/854: characterised by their material, e.g. epoxy or silicone resins
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- F21K: NON-ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES USING LUMINESCENCE; LIGHT SOURCES USING ELECTROCHEMILUMINESCENCE; LIGHT SOURCES USING CHARGES OF COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL; LIGHT SOURCES USING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES AS LIGHT-GENERATING ELEMENTS; LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H10H: INORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES HAVING POTENTIAL BARRIERS

## Abstract

In various embodiments, an illumination apparatus includes an air gap between a sub-assembly and a waveguide attached thereto at a plurality of discrete attachment points, as well as a bare-die light-emitting diode encapsulated by the waveguide.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An illumination device comprising:
a waveguide;
a light-emitting diode (LED), light emitted by the LED being in-coupled into the waveguide; and
a sub-assembly providing mechanical support to the LED and disposed proximate a first surface of the waveguide,
wherein, notwithstanding the presence of the sub-assembly, light from the LED is (i) confined by the first surface of the waveguide via total internal reflection and (ii) not absorbed by the sub-assembly.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The illumination device of claim 1, wherein an air gap is disposed between at least a portion of the sub-assembly and at least a portion of the first surface of the waveguide.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the sub-assembly is attached to the first surface of the waveguide only at a plurality of discrete attachment points.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The illumination device of claim 3, wherein at least one of the discrete attachment points comprises a substantially rigid joining element for facilitating alignment of the waveguide with the sub-assembly.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The illumination device of claim 1, further comprising a reflector disposed over at least a portion of a second surface of the waveguide to confine light within the waveguide.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The illumination device of claim 5, wherein the second surface is opposite the first surface.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the LED is disposed at least partially within the waveguide.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The illumination device of claim 1, further comprising an index-matching material disposed on at least a portion of the LED.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The illumination device of claim 8, wherein at least a portion of the index-matching material is disposed between the LED and the waveguide.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the LED comprises a bare-die LED.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the LED consists essentially of a bare-die LED.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The illumination device of claim 1, further comprising a phosphor for converting a light emitted by the LED to light having a different wavelength.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the waveguide defines a recess in the first surface, and the LED is at least partially disposed within the recess.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The illumination device of claim 13, further comprising at least one index-matching material filling at least a portion of the recess.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the waveguide comprises an emission surface, different from the first surface, for emitting light in-coupled into the waveguide.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The illumination device of claim 15, wherein the first surface and the emission surface are substantially planar.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The illumination device of claim 15, wherein the waveguide comprises (i) an in-coupling region in which light emitted by the LED is in-coupled into the waveguide, and (ii) an out-coupling region, discrete from the in-coupling region, from which light is out-coupled through the emission surface.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The illumination device of claim 17, wherein the out-coupling region is laterally spaced away from the LED.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The illumination device of claim 15, wherein the first surface is substantially parallel to the emission surface.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The illumination device of claim 15, wherein the first surface is substantially perpendicular to the emission surface.