LED Illumination System with Recycling Reflector
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Solution Overview
Problem
LED illumination systems face a challenge in achieving high brightness comparable to arc lamps, as they typically produce low output lumens, limiting their effectiveness in applications requiring high brightness such as cinema projectors.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a high-efficiency LED illumination system that incorporates multiple LED modules with recycling reflectors and collimating lenses, where the recycling reflectors reflect untransmitted light back to the LED elements, and collimating lenses are arranged to enhance light collimation and brightness, effectively increasing the light output by recycling lost light.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If LED modules are used as light source, then lifetime and operating cost are improved, but brightness output is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the recycling reflector that captures light which would otherwise be lost or scattered and redirects it back through the LED chip. This recovery mechanism increases the effective brightness output by recycling previously wasted light, resolving the contradiction between LED longevity and brightness output.
Solution Approach 2:
The recycling reflector acts as an intermediary optical element between the LED chip and the external environment. It mediates the light path by reflecting and redirecting light rays that would normally be lost, thereby enhancing the overall brightness output without changing the LED chip itself.
2Device complexity
If single LED chip is used, then device simplicity is improved, but light output is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the light extraction process by introducing a recycling reflector that handles light in a different path than the primary light emission. This segmentation allows the system to recover and recycle light that would otherwise be lost, increasing total light output while maintaining relative device simplicity.
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
This solution achieves an 80% increase in brightness by recycling previously lost light, allowing for higher lumens output without increasing the etendue, thereby making LED illumination systems more suitable for high-brightness applications like cinema projectors.
Implementation Method 1
The reflector is positioned to reflect the light from the light emitting area back to the LED element
Implementation Method 2
The collimating lenses are arranged to receive and collimate the light exiting from the LED modules
Data Source
AI summary
An LED illumination system includes a plurality of LED modules and a plurality of corresponding collimating lenses to provide increased brightness. Each LED module has at least one LED chip having a light emitting area that emits light and a recycling reflector. The reflector is positioned to reflect the light from the light emitting area back to the LED chip and has a transmissive aperture through which the emitted light exits. The collimating lenses are arranged to receive and collimate the light exiting from the LED modules.