Reflector for illumination system
US5661828A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 13, 1996 |
| Grant date | Aug 26, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 13, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S385/901
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A hollow light guide illumination system is provided for coupling light from an illumination source to a hollow light guide, which is used for a variety of purposes, such as tunnels, hallways, and large rooms where direct lighting is dangerous, difficult to maintain, or subject to vandalism. The illumination system employs an illumination reflector which has been customized to maximize the efficiency of light transmission between the illumination source, such as an arc lamp, and the core of the hollow light guide. A method of fabricating the customized illumination reflector includes mapping the radiation patterns of the particular illumination source to be utilized, creating a database of those radiation patterns, and utilizing the database to generate an optimal illumination reflector configuration. The computer-generated reflector will virtually always be a non-conic section, because the illumination source is not ideal.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.