Uniform illumination of large, thin surfaces particularly suited for automotive applications
US5101325A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 20, 1990 |
| Grant date | Mar 31, 1992 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 20, 2010 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B6/0065
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A thin, efficient and uniform illuminator for large areas comprises a plastic wedge of a series of plastic wedges applied to or formed integrally with a back surface of an area to be illuminated. Light is collected and concentrated from a high efficiency light source. The concentrated light is focused as an input to one or more light guides. The light guides may be optical fibers. The light guides or fibers are fused or mated in some other way to an edge or edges of an optically clear plastic wedge or wedges. The wedge shape increases the angle of the internal reflections of the edge coupled light per unit distance and intercepts more of the light as the wedge gets thinner. To further enhance the uniformity of the illuminating light, light scattering centers may be added to the surface or volume of the wedge. The number of scattering centers over the illuminating surface of the wedge or within the volume of the wedge may be increased along the distance moving away from the light source.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.