Laser Illumination Lighting Device with Solid Medium Freeform Prism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lighting devices using LEDs face challenges in achieving high brightness and narrow beam angles due to broad angular output, leading to light loss and increased bulkiness, while blue laser light sources are unsafe and inefficiently designed for illumination due to their high power density and coherence.
Innovation Solution
A lighting device incorporating a laser light source and a solid medium freeform prism or waveguide that confines and shapes laser light rays for conversion into illumination lighting by a phosphor plate, ensuring safety and efficiency through a design without air gaps and using reflective surfaces for total internal reflection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If multiple LEDs are used to achieve high brightness and narrow beam, then brightness and beam narrowness are improved, but weight and bulkiness increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple laser light sources into a single integrated lighting device with a solid medium waveguide structure, eliminating the need for multiple separate LED components and reducing overall weight while maintaining high brightness output through the coherent laser source
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the optical parameters by using laser light with narrow beam angle and high coherence instead of broad-angle LED emission, enabling high brightness with a single source rather than requiring multiple LEDs to achieve the same effect
2Illumination intensity
If multiple LEDs are used to achieve high brightness and narrow beam, then brightness and beam narrowness are improved, but device volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the laser light source with the solid medium waveguide and phosphor plate into a compact integrated structure, eliminating the need for separate optical elements and reducing device volume while maintaining high brightness performance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the solid medium waveguide to redirect laser light in three-dimensional space, allowing compact packaging by exploiting volumetric light propagation paths rather than requiring extended linear optical paths
3Power
If blue laser light source is used for illumination, then high power density and directionality are improved, but safety and optical efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a solid medium waveguide as an intermediary between the laser light source and the phosphor plate, and uses the phosphor plate as a mediator to convert laser light to illumination light, thereby containing the hazardous laser beam and eliminating direct exposure risks
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful coherent laser light into beneficial illumination light by using the phosphor plate to absorb the laser wavelength and emit safe broad-spectrum illumination, transforming the potentially hazardous concentrated energy into safe distributed light
4Shape
If mirrors and air gaps are used in laser lighting design, then light deflection and beam shaping are improved, but safety and optical efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the air gaps and separate mirror components from the optical path, replacing them with a solid medium waveguide that guides light through total internal reflection, thereby removing sources of optical loss and improving overall efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical mirror-based beam shaping system with a solid medium waveguide that uses total internal reflection at its boundaries, eliminating the need for separate reflective surfaces and reducing optical losses associated with multiple mirror interfaces
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 solution enables a compact, high-lumen output lighting device with enhanced safety and optical efficiency, as the laser light source is confined and converted efficiently within the solid medium, reducing light loss and improving beam control.
Implementation Method 1
The solid medium freeform prism or waveguide further includes an output surface and a highly reflective internal surface to reflect the shaped laser light rays to propagate inside the solid medium freeform prism or waveguide until emission through the output surface
Implementation Method 2
The phosphor plate is coupled to the output surface of the solid medium freeform prism or waveguide to convert the reflected shaped laser light rays into the illumination lighting to emit from the luminaire
Implementation Method 3
The solid medium freeform prism or waveguide includes an input surface or lens coupled to the laser light source to shape the incoming laser light rays passing through and entering inside the solid medium waveguide freeform prism or waveguide into shaped laser light rays
Data Source
AI summary
An example lighting device has a luminaire. The luminaire includes a laser light source configured to be driven by electrical power to emit laser light rays, a phosphor plate, and a solid medium freeform prism or waveguide. The solid medium freeform prism or waveguide confines incoming laser light ray emitted from the laser light source inside the solid medium until conversion into illumination lighting by the phosphor plate. The solid medium includes an input surface or lens coupled to the laser light source, an output surface, and a highly reflective internal surface to reflect laser light rays to propagate inside the solid medium until emission through the output surface. The phosphor plate is coupled to the output surface of the solid medium to convert the reflected laser light rays into the illumination lighting to emit from the luminaire.