Light Guiding Unit With Gradient Adhesive For Fluorescence Extraction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing light source devices for projectors face challenges in achieving sufficient extraction efficiency of fluorescence from phosphor, leading to difficulties in obtaining the desired intensity of light, particularly in light guiding units without wavelength conversion.
Innovation Solution
A light guiding unit is designed with a light guiding member, an angle conversion member, and an adhesive with light transmissivity, where the adhesive is strategically placed between the members to enhance light extraction efficiency, featuring an output end surface, a side surface, and an incident end surface with specific dimensions and coverage, and the adhesive's shape is adjusted to optimize light transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a compound radiation surface condenser is fixed to a light-transmissive member using adhesive, then the light source device can be assembled, but the fluorescence generated within the phosphor is not sufficiently extracted
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive layer serves as an intermediary optical medium between the light-guiding member and the angle conversion member. By carefully controlling the adhesive's optical properties (refractive index, thickness distribution), it acts as a mediator that facilitates fluorescence extraction from the light-guiding member while maintaining mechanical bonding and optical transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by varying the thickness of the adhesive layer across different regions (thinner at the center, thicker at the edges) and by selecting specific refractive index values (1.4-1.6) to optimize optical performance. This gradient thickness configuration changes the optical parameters to improve fluorescence extraction efficiency while maintaining assembly integrity.
2Ease of manufacture
If the adhesive layer thickness is uniform, then manufacturing is simple, but fluorescence extraction efficiency is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive layer is designed with non-uniform thickness distribution, being thinner at the center and thicker at the edges. This local quality variation optimizes fluorescence extraction at different positions: the thinner center region minimizes optical path length for direct transmission, while the thicker edge region provides adequate bonding and gradual optical transition, improving overall extraction efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a dimensional variation in the adhesive layer thickness, transitioning from a uniform 2D layer to a 3D gradient structure. This dimensional change allows optimization of both optical performance (through thickness variation) and mechanical bonding (through edge reinforcement), resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and extraction efficiency.
3Strength
If the adhesive covers the entire surface, then bonding is strong, but light transmission is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive coverage is strategically distributed with different thicknesses at different locations: thinner at the center to maximize light transmission and thicker at the edges to maintain bonding strength. This local quality differentiation allows the adhesive to fulfill both bonding and optical transmission functions simultaneously without compromising either.
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 the extraction efficiency of fluorescence, allowing for the attainment of desired intensity levels and precise control over the angle distribution of light, thereby enhancing the performance of light source devices in projectors.
Implementation Method 1
an adhesive provided between the light guiding member and the angle conversion member and having light transmissivity
Implementation Method 2
an angle conversion member converting an angle distribution of the light output from the light guiding member
Implementation Method 3
a light source using fluorescence emitted from phosphor when the phosphor is irradiated with an excitation light
Implementation Method 4
a light-transmissive member in a rod shape containing phosphor that wavelength-converts the blue light
Data Source
AI summary
A light guiding unit of the present disclosure includes a light guiding member, an angle conversion member, and an adhesive. The light guiding member has an output end surface crossing longitudinal directions of the light guiding member and a side surface crossing the output end surface. The angle conversion member has an incident end surface entered by the light output from the output end surface. In a sectional view orthogonal to the output end surface, a dimension of the incident end surface is larger than a dimension of the output end surface. A part of the adhesive is provided between the output end surface and the incident end surface and another part of the adhesive is provided to cover a part of the side surface. In the sectional view orthogonal to the output end surface, a dimension of the adhesive provided to cover the part of the side surface is equal to or larger than the dimension of the output end surface and equal to or smaller than the dimension of the incident end surface, and the dimension of the adhesive is gradually larger from the side surface toward the incident end surface.