IP Library Granted Patent US 9,709,725
Granted Patent B2
US 9,709,725 · App. 14/657,988 · Granted Jul 18, 2017

Luminaire utilizing waveguide

Inventors: Kurt S. Wilcox (Libertyville, IL); Nicholas W. Medendorp, Jr. (Raleigh, NC); Zongjie Yuan (Libertyville, IL); Andrew Dan Bendtsen (Racine, WI); Nathan Snell (Raleigh, NC); Jeremy Sorenson (Oak Creek, WI); Brian Kinnune (Racine, WI); Craig D. Raleigh (Burlington, WI)
Assignee: Cree, Inc.
G02B6/0038F21V23/009G02B6/0021G02B6/0031G02B6/0035G02B6/0043G02B6/0073G02B6/24G02B6/262G02B6/305G02B6/32G02B6/34F21W2131/10F21Y2115/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,709,725
App. No.
14/657,988
Granted
Jul 18, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

An optical waveguide having orthogonal x- and y-dimensions includes at least one coupling feature for directing light into the waveguide, at least one light redirection feature extending in the x- and y-dimensions for redirecting light in the waveguide, at least one first light extraction feature extending in the x-dimension for extracting light out of the waveguide, and at least one second light extraction feature extending in the y-dimension for extracting light out of the waveguide.

Claims (51)

1. An optical waveguide body comprising orthogonal x- and y-dimensions, comprising:

at least one coupling feature for directing light into the waveguide body and the at least one coupling feature extending into the waveguide body from an end surface;

at least one light redirection feature extending in the x- and y-dimensions for redirecting light within the waveguide body;

at least one first light extraction feature extending in the x-dimension for extracting light out of the waveguide body;

at least one second light extraction feature extending in the y-dimension for extracting light out of the waveguide body; and

at least one light extraction rib extending in the y-dimension and disposed within a first side of the waveguide body transverse to the end surface;

wherein the at least one first light extraction feature, the at least one second light extraction feature, and the at least one light redirection feature are disposed within a second side of the waveguide body transverse to the end surface;

wherein the at least one first light extraction feature and the at least one second light extraction feature comprise first and second sloped surfaces, respectively, and the first and second sloped surfaces face different directions.

2. The optical waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the at least one light redirection feature comprises at least two light redirection features that are mirror images of one another with a gap therebetween.

3. The optical waveguide of claim 2 , wherein the at least one light redirection feature comprises at least two sets of light redirection features that are mirror images of one another with a gap therebetween.

4. The optical waveguide body of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first light extraction feature comprises at least one further light extracting feature disposed between the at least one coupling feature and the at least one first light extraction feature.

5. The optical waveguide body of claim 4 , wherein the at least one further light extraction feature comprises a TIR surface for reflecting light in the optical waveguide.

6. The optical waveguide body of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first light extraction feature comprises at least two spaced further light extracting features disposed between the at least one coupling feature and the at least one first light extraction feature.

7. The optical waveguide of claim 6 , wherein each of the at least two spaced further light extraction features comprises a pair of light extraction surfaces.

8. The optical waveguide of claim 7 , wherein each pair of light extraction surfaces comprises light scattering features.

9. The optical waveguide of claim 8 , wherein each pair of light extraction surfaces is bounded by two side surfaces that comprises light scattering features.

10. The optical waveguide body of claim 6 , wherein a channel is defined between TIR surfaces of the at least two spaced further light extraction features and wherein the TIR surfaces reflect light along the channel toward the at least one light redirection feature.

11. The optical waveguide body of claim 10 , wherein each TIR surface comprises light scattering features.

12. The optical waveguide body of claim 6 , further comprising a TIR feature disposed between the at least two spaced further light extraction features wherein the TIR feature comprises opposed first and second TIR surfaces and wherein a first channel is defined between the first TIR surface and a third TIR surface of one of the further light extraction features and a second channel is defined between the second TIR surface and a fourth TIR surface of another of the further light extraction features.

13. The optical waveguide body of claim 12 , wherein the first and second channels are adapted to direct light in the waveguide toward the at least one light redirection feature.

14. The optical waveguide body of claim 13 , wherein the at least one light redirection feature comprises first and second sets of light redirection features aligned with the first and second channels, respectively.

15. The optical waveguide body of claim 1 , further comprising at least one third light extraction feature extending in the x- and y-dimensions for extracting light out of the waveguide.

16. The optical waveguide body of claim 15 , wherein the at least one third light extraction feature comprises light scattering features.

17. The optical waveguide body of claim 1 , wherein the at least one light redirecting feature is disposed between the at least one coupling feature and the at least one first light extraction feature.

18. The optical waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the at least one light redirecting feature comprises first and second sets of light redirecting features wherein all but at least one of the light redirection features of the first set are spaced from all but at least one of the light redirecting features of the second set.

19. The optical waveguide of claim 18 , wherein the light redirecting features of the first and second sets are spaced from one another along the y-dimension and comprise inner edges that are offset with respect to one another along the x-dimension.

20. The optical waveguide of claim 19 , wherein the inner edge of each light redirection feature of the first set is aligned with the inner edge of an associated light redirection feature of the second set along the y-dimension and wherein a spacing between inner edges of associated light redirection features of the first and second sets decrease with distance from the at least one coupling feature along the y-dimension.

21. The optical waveguide of claim 18 , wherein the at least one of the light redirection features of the first set is contiguous with the at least one of the light redirection features of the second set to define at least one combined light redirection feature.

22. The optical waveguide of claim 21 , wherein each light redirection feature is elongate in the x- and y-dimensions.

23. The optical waveguide of claim 22 , wherein the at least one combined light redirection feature comprises a chevron shape.

24. The optical waveguide of claim 23 , wherein the at least one combined light redirection feature comprises a light extraction surface.

25. The optical waveguide of claim 24 , wherein the light extraction surface comprises light scattering features.

26. The optical waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the at least one light redirection feature comprises a cavity.

27. The optical waveguide body of claim 1 , wherein the at least one light extraction feature comprises a tapered surface.

28. The optical waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the at least one light redirection feature is disposed on a first face, and further comprising at least one light extraction rib on a second face opposite the first face.

29. The optical waveguide of claim 28 , wherein the at least one rib comprises light scattering features.

30. A luminaire comprising the optical waveguide body of claim 1 .

31. The luminaire of claim 30 , further comprising:

a housing adapted for outdoor use;

a driver circuit disposed in the housing;

at least one of a control device and an element associated with the driver circuit adapted to control an illumination output of the luminaire.

32. The luminaire of claim 31 , wherein the control device comprises a dimming control device adapted to controllably limit a brightness of the luminaire.

33. The luminaire of claim 32 wherein the control device comprises a programmable element adapted to limit power developed by the driver circuit.

34. A luminaire, comprising:

an optical waveguide body comprising orthogonal x- and y-dimensions, a housing for outdoor use, and a control device comprising a programmable element adapted to limit power developed by a driver circuit wherein the optical waveguide body, the control device, and the driver circuit are disposed within the housing, the optical waveguide body comprising:

at least one coupling feature for directing light into the waveguide body and the at least one coupling feature extending into the waveguide body from an end surface;

at least one light redirection feature extending in the x- and y-dimensions for redirecting light within the waveguide body;

at least one first light extraction feature extending in the x-dimension for extracting light out of the waveguide body;

at least one second light extraction feature extending in the y-dimension for extracting light out of the waveguide body; and

at least one light extraction rib extending in the y-dimension and disposed within a first side of the waveguide body transverse to the end surface;

wherein the at least one first light extraction feature, the at least one second light extraction feature, and the at least one light redirection feature are disposed within a second side of the waveguide body transverse to the end surface.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 22, 2026
From: LUMEN ACQUISITION HOLDINGS, LLC
To: LED-IP MANAGEMENT, LLC
Reel/Frame 075624/0358 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 13, 2023
From: IDEAL INDUSTRIES LIGHTING LLC
To: FGI WORLDWIDE LLC
Reel/Frame 064897/0413 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 20, 2019
From: CREE, INC.
To: IDEAL INDUSTRIES LIGHTING LLC
Reel/Frame 049224/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 7, 2017
From: WILCOX, KURT S.; MEDENDORP, NICHOLAS W., JR.; YUAN, ZONGJIE; BENDTSEN, ANDREW DAN; SNELL, NATHAN; SORENSON, JEREMY; KINNUNE, BRIAN; RALEIGH, CRAIG D.
To: CREE, INC.
Reel/Frame 042713/0170 →
Continuity (30)
Continuation In Part 13842521 · Mar 15, 2013
Continuation In Part 13839949 · Mar 15, 2013
Continuation In Part 13841074 · Mar 15, 2013
Continuation In Part 13840563 · Mar 15, 2013
Continuation In Part 13841622 · Mar 15, 2013
Continuation In Part 13938877 · Jul 10, 2013
Continuation In Part 14015801 · Aug 30, 2013
Continuation In Part 14101086 · Dec 9, 2013
Continuation In Part 14101147 · Dec 9, 2013
Continuation In Part 14101099 · Dec 9, 2013
Continuation In Part 14101129 · Dec 9, 2013
Continuation In Part 14101051 · Dec 9, 2013
Continuation In Part PCTUS2014013937 · Jan 30, 2014
Continuation In Part PCTUS2014013931 · Jan 30, 2014
Continuation In Part PCTUS2014030017 · Mar 15, 2014
Continuation In Part 14462426 · Aug 18, 2014
Continuation In Part 14462391 · Aug 18, 2014
Continuation In Part 14485609 · Sep 12, 2014
Continuation In Part 14583415 · Dec 26, 2014
Continuation In Part 14292778 · May 30, 2014
Continuation In Part 14577730 · Dec 19, 2014
Continuation In Part PCTUS2014072848 · Dec 30, 2014
Continuation In Part 14101132 · Dec 9, 2013
Provisional Application 61922017 · Dec 30, 2013
Provisional Application 62005955 · May 30, 2014
Provisional Application 62009039 · Jun 6, 2014
Provisional Application 62005965 · May 30, 2014
Provisional Application 62025436 · Jul 16, 2014
Provisional Application 62025905 · Jul 17, 2014
Related Publication 20150253488A1 · Sep 10, 2015