Optical element for influencing light directions, arrangement for imaging a multiplicity of illuminated or self-luminous surfaces, and illumination device

US11726355B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• siOPTICA GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Yannick Bourgin · Großgölitz, DE
• André Heber · Weimar, DE
• Markus Klippstein · Jena, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 29, 2021
• Grant date: Aug 15, 2023
• Expiry date: Mar 29, 2041

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02B2207/115
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An optical element including a plate-shaped substrate with a light-entrance surface and a light-exit surface, a multiplicity of imaging elements formed on the light-exit surface and a multiplicity of diaphragms formed on the light-entrance surface. Each diaphragm includes a transparent geometric region in an opaque region. The optical element can be switched between two operating modes B1 and B2 such that some of the imaging elements change their focal length between values f1 and f2 and/or, some of the diaphragms change their aperture width and/or their position. Exactly one diaphragm is associated with each imaging element in mode B1 so that light passing through the diaphragm is imaged or collimated by the associated imaging element. Consequently, light arriving in the optical element through the diaphragms and then through the light-entrance surface has, after passing through the associated imaging elements in the two operating modes B1 and B2, different propagation angles.