Layered dimmer system
View Patent ↗A dimmer wheel which is formed to absorb large amounts of light and to disperse the light that is absorbed. The dimmer wheel has a bottom surface that is irregular, and a reflective material in that bottom surface to scatter the light. A light absorbing material also receives some of the light.
1. A dimmer system, comprising:
a substrate;
said substrate having openings therein defined by sidewalls and a bottom portion of said openings, wherein said bottom portion has an irregular surface therein; and
a two-part optical filling within said openings, wherein said optical filling includes a first reflective portion, directly against said irregular surface, and a second heat absorbing portion, above said reflecting portion and directly connected thereto.
2. A dimmer system as in claim 1 , wherein said heat absorbing portion is dark mirror material.
3. A dimmer system as in claim 1 , wherein said reflecting portion is aluminum.
4. A dimmer system as in claim 2 , wherein said reflecting portion is reflective silicon.
5. A dimmer system as in claim 1 , wherein said reflecting portion is substantially transparent to infrared.
6. A dimmer system as in claim 1 , wherein said substrate includes said openings arranged in a pattern which is irregular over a surface of said substrate.
7. A dimmer system as in claim 6 , wherein said pattern is a substantially circular pattern with some of the openings defining wider areas than others of the openings.
8. A dimmer wheel comprising:
a substantially disk shaped substrate;
a plurality of fingers, located on said disk shaped substrate, said fingers forming a pattern that varies across a surface of the disk shaped substrate;
wherein said fingers are formed with a first portion below an upper surface of the substrate, and a second portion above said upper surface of the substrate, including a bottom surface formed by an irregular surface;
a filling material for said fingers, including at least a portion below the upper surface which comprises a reflective material with an irregular surface that mates with said irregular surface of said fingers, and a bottom surface that has an irregular surface, and wherein said fingers have different sizes at different areas on the substrate.
9. A wheel as in claim 8 , wherein said reflective material is aluminum.
10. A wheel as in claim 8 , wherein said reflective material is reflective silicon.
11. A wheel as in claim 8 , wherein said fingers are light absorbing material.
12. A wheel as in claim 8 , further comprising a portion of the wheel which is completely clear.
13. A wheel as in claim 8 , further comprising a portion of the wheel which is completely opaque.