Faceted Lens Light Mixing for Uniform LED Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional LED-based downlights face challenges with heat management and irregular light distribution, leading to unsatisfactory illumination and installation issues due to the need for cooling devices, which increase the overall height and affect the visual appearance.
Innovation Solution
A lighting device with a lens featuring a faceted lateral surface that directs light beams through total reflection and mixing, ensuring uniform illumination and a visually appealing appearance similar to conventional downlights, while maintaining a compact design that allows conventional installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cooling devices are added to manage LED heat, then safe operation is improved, but overall height increases and installation becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cooling function from a separate bulky component and integrates it directly into the lens structure through a recessed mounting area and air gap design. This eliminates the need for external cooling devices while maintaining safe LED operation temperatures.
Solution Approach 2:
The LED module is nested within a recessed mounting area in the ceiling panel, with the lens positioned over it. The air gap between the lens and LED module creates a natural convection channel that nests cooling functionality within the existing compact structure, eliminating the need for additional external cooling components.
2Use of energy by moving object
If LED is used as light source, then energy consumption and service life are improved, but heat generation increases causing installation issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful heat generated by LEDs into a beneficial cooling effect. The air gap between the lens and LED module creates natural convection currents that carry heat away from the LED, transforming the heat problem into an effective passive cooling mechanism that maintains LED performance without additional energy consumption.
3Illumination intensity
If light distribution is improved to avoid irregularities, then illumination quality is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lens is segmented into distinct functional zones: a light entry recess area, a faceted lateral surface with multiple angled facets, and a light exit surface. Each segment performs a specific optical function, with the faceted portions directing light at different angles to create uniform illumination patterns without requiring complex electronic control.
Solution Approach 2:
The lens incorporates curved and faceted surfaces that redirect light rays through geometric optics. The faceted lateral surface consists of multiple angled planes that reflect and refract light to create uniform distribution patterns, using purely optical geometric principles rather than complex electronic control systems.
4Loss of energy
If lens is designed to capture all light, then light efficiency is improved, but visual appearance and installation compatibility are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The lens applies different optical properties to different regions: the light entry recess captures light efficiently, the faceted lateral surface redirects light at specific angles for uniform distribution, and the light exit surface provides a clean visual appearance. Each local area is optimized for its specific function, balancing light efficiency with aesthetic requirements.
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 faceted lens design achieves high-quality, homogeneous illumination, is insensitive to manufacturing and positional tolerances, and effectively manages heat through a sleeve-shaped housing with an air gap for cooling, enabling efficient light mixing and distribution without the need for bulky cooling components.
Implementation Method 1
a lens (3), roughly speaking in the shape of a truncated paraboloid, which is arranged with its light entry side seated or positioned directly on the printed circuit board (6), the lens (3) comprising on its light entry side a blind hole-like light entry recess (9)... said lateral surface (12) is provided with a surface structure in the form of faceting, which has a multiplicity of facets (13)... the light beams deflected by the lateral surface or the facets provided there cross one another before reaching the light exit surface (16) of the lens
Implementation Method 2
an air gap (8) is provided between the lens (3) and the lamp part (7) on the one hand and the sleeve-shaped housing part (5) on the other hand, in order to enable internal convection, which cools the heat-relevant components of the lamp
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a lighting device, in particular in the form of a ceiling, wall, floor or outside light, having a punctiform light source, preferably in the form of an LED, and a lens assigned to the light source, which has a light entry recess in the form of a bowl or blind hole, which deflects at least part of the incident light, indirectly or directly, onto a totally reflecting and/or mirrored lateral surface, which in turn deflects the light onto a light exit surface, which forms a front side of the lens located opposite the light entry recess. According to the invention, the lateral surface of the lens, which deflects the light coming directly or indirectly from the light entry surface onto the light exit surface by means of total reflection and/or mirroring, is provided with a multiplicity of facets. The facets are shaped in such a way that the light beams deflected by the lateral surface or the facets provided thereon cross one another before reaching the light exit surface, so that thorough mixing takes place while still in the region of the lens. The superimposition or crossing over of light beams that have in each case already been deflected while still within the lens is able to achieve homogeneous illumination of high lighting quality of the irradiated surface and of the area of the room to be illuminated.