Light guide element and light unit with light guide element

US7581862B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Odelo GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Emil P. Stefanov · Eßlingen, DE
• Stephanie Specht · Stuttgart, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 4, 2008
• Grant date: Sep 1, 2009
• Expiry date: Apr 4, 2028

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02B27/0994
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The invention concerns a light guide element whose cross-sectional surface widens continuously at least in areas from a light inlet surface to a light outlet surface, as well as a light unit with at least one LED as light source and with a light guide element. For this purpose the light guide element includes at least one area with a curved directrix, in which the curvature of the directrix in this area is constant or which the curvature of the directrix in this area diminishes with increasing cross section of the light guide element.With the present invention the light guide element and a light unit are developed, which permits a soft transition of illumination intensity in a sharply delimited light-dark boundary of the illuminated area on the other edges.