Compact LED Light Engine with Reflector Cups and Imaging Lens
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Solution Overview
Problem
Directional lamps face challenges in maximizing face lumens and beam intensity while maintaining a narrow beam angle, as existing technologies struggle to efficiently distribute light from multiple LED devices without significant optical losses and uneven light distribution.
Innovation Solution
A directional lamp design incorporating a light engine with shallow reflector cups and a collecting reflector, along with an imaging lens, which redirects side-emitted light to enhance beam angle and intensity without a light mixing cavity or diffuser, optimizing the etendue and beam shaping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a light mixing cavity or diffuser is used to distribute light from multiple LED devices, then uniform light distribution is improved, but optical losses increase and face lumens decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the light mixing cavity and diffuser from the optical system, extracting the problematic components that caused optical losses. Instead, it uses shallow reflector cups integrated directly with each LED device to achieve light distribution without the intermediary mixing elements, thereby reducing face lumens loss while maintaining uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the light distribution function into individual segments - each LED device has its own shallow reflector cup that independently directs light. This segmentation eliminates the need for a centralized light mixing cavity, allowing each LED to contribute directly to the overall uniform distribution while minimizing optical losses at each stage.
2Use of energy by moving object
If deep reflector cups are used to collect light from LED devices, then light collection efficiency is improved, but beam angle control deteriorates and optical losses increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the key parameter of reflector cup depth from deep to shallow. This parameter change optimizes the balance between light collection efficiency and beam angle control - the shallow cups collect sufficient light while preserving the LED's inherent beam characteristics and enabling precise beam angle control without excessive optical losses.
3Quantity of substance
If multiple LED devices are arranged to increase face lumens, then total light output is improved, but light distribution uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by giving each LED device its own customized shallow reflector cup optimized for that specific LED's emission characteristics. This local optimization ensures that each LED contributes uniformly to the overall light distribution, maintaining uniformity even as total light output increases with more LED devices.
4Illumination intensity
If a collecting reflector is added to redirect side-emitted light, then beam intensity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the collecting reflector function with the existing shallow reflector cups and LED array structure. The reflector cups serve dual purposes - both as LED mounting structures and as light collecting/redirecting elements. This merging achieves beam intensity improvement without adding separate, complex optical components.
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 significantly improves beam angle and intensity by redirecting side-emitted light, reducing optical losses, and achieving a more uniform light distribution, resulting in increased center-beam candlepower and reduced full-width at half maximum (FWHM).
Implementation Method 1
some light rays emanating directly from the LED devices reflect off the collecting reflector into the imaging lens and some light rays emanating directly from the LED devices reflect off the reflecting cups into the imaging lens
Implementation Method 2
an imaging lens arranged to generate an image of the light engine at about infinity
Data Source
AI summary
A light engine comprises a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) devices arranged in a plane and a corresponding plurality of reflector cups wherein each LED device is disposed in a corresponding reflector cup and wherein the light engine does not include either a diffuser or a light mixing cavity. A directional lamp comprises the aforesaid light engine and an imaging lens arranged to generate an image of the light engine at about infinity. The directional lamp may further include a collecting reflector (for example, a conical, parabolic, or compound parabolic reflector) extending between a relatively narrower entrance aperture at which the light engine is disposed and a relatively wider exit aperture at which the imaging lens is disposed. The imaging lens may be arranged to generate a defocused image of the light engine at about infinity to soften the beam edge.