Efficient directional lighting system
US6554456B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 5, 2000 |
| Grant date | Apr 29, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 5, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF21V2200/17
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An efficient system for directing light comprises a light source and a generally tubular, hollow coupling device. The coupling device has an interior light-reflective surface for receiving light from the source at an inlet and transmitting it as a generally diverging light beam through an outlet. The device is shaped in accordance with non-imaging optics and increases in cross sectional area from inlet to outlet so as to reduce the angle of light reflected from the surface as it passes through the device. The foregoing system provides a discharge-based directional light source that can be of the size of a directional halogen source (e.g., an MR16 or MR 11 lamp) while substantially preserving the discharge efficiency, light-output capacity and lifetime of discharge-based sources. This results from the coupling device that provides light with good spatial uniformity in light intensity and color. Embodiments of the invention can simply split the light to multiple (e.g., two) destinations with substantially the same efficiency.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.