Curved Optical Block Light Collector for Efficient Light Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional light collectors with pie-shaped annular bodies suffer from reduced light coupling efficiency due to straight planar edge surfaces causing incorrect focus and low fill factor, leading to decreased light collection efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A light collector design featuring optical blocks with curved front and rear surfaces extending from a top to a bottom surface, aligned to converge light at a focal point, and optical coupling protrusions that direct reflected light into a light guide, eliminating the issues of incorrect focus and low fill factor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If pie-shaped annular bodies with straight planar edge surfaces are used, then the structure is simple to manufacture, but light coupling efficiency decreases due to incorrect focus
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature to the edge surfaces of the optical blocks, transforming them from straight planar surfaces to curved surfaces that converge light at a focal point. This curvature enables proper optical focusing while maintaining the modular block structure, directly resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and light coupling efficiency.
2Device complexity
If pie-shaped annular bodies are used, then the structure is simple, but the fill factor is low resulting in decreased light collection efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the light collector into multiple modular optical blocks arranged in an array, where each block is a simplified geometric shape (e.g., rectangular or square) rather than a complex pie-shaped annular body. This segmentation allows for easier manufacturing and assembly while achieving high fill factor through dense packing of the modular units.
3Area of stationary object
If planar interface is small in area, then the optical aperture is reduced, but light escape increases reducing harvesting availability
Solution Approach 1:
The curved edge surfaces of the optical blocks create a focal point that concentrates reflected light onto a small area of the light guide. This curvature-based focusing mechanism ensures that even with a small planar interface area, light is efficiently coupled into the light guide by converging rays at the focal point, minimizing light escape while maintaining a compact optical aperture.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design enhances light coupling efficiency by ensuring correct focus and increasing the fill factor, thereby improving the overall light collection efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
the rear surface exhibiting total internal reflection and having a focal point such that light reflected from the rear surface converge at the focal point
Data Source
AI summary
A light collector includes: a light guide; optical blocks, each of which has top and bottom surfaces and front and rear surfaces which extend curvedly and frontwardly from the top surface to the bottom surface, the rear surface exhibiting total internal reflection and having a focal point; and optical coupling protrusions, each of which protrudes from the bottom surface, each of which is disposed at the focal point and each of which is coupled to the light-entrance surface of the light guide. The front surface of one of every two adjacent ones of the optical blocks overlaps the rear surface of the other of every two adjacent ones of the optical blocks along a normal direction of the light guide.