Lighting Device With Microstructured Optical Plate

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing downlights require significant space due to bulky reflectors and a mixing chamber, making them unsuitable for compact ceiling installations and limiting their ability to provide customized or irregular shapes.

Innovation Solution

A lighting device featuring a plurality of LED light sources with collimating members and an at least partially transparent optical arrangement with a microstructure of refractive cells, allowing for efficient light shaping and distribution without the need for a mixing chamber or bulky reflectors.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If reflectors and mixing chambers are used to shape light distribution, then light distribution control is improved, but device volume increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelight distribution controlVSAvoiddevice volume
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the mixing chamber and reflector components from the traditional downlight design. Instead, it uses an optical plate with microstructured surface patterns directly on the light source housing to achieve light distribution control, thereby extracting unnecessary components to reduce device volume.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The optical plate features localized microstructures with varying patterns in different regions. These local variations in surface geometry create different light redirection angles and distributions in specific areas, enabling zone-specific light control without requiring a large mixing chamber.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Illumination intensity

If reflectors are used for light shaping, then light distribution is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelight distributionVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the functions of the reflector, mixing chamber, and optical plate into a single integrated optical plate component. The microstructured surface performs multiple optical functions simultaneously, simplifying the overall device structure while maintaining light distribution control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Illumination intensity

If standard downlight designs are used, then light distribution is achieved, but adaptability to different ceiling shapes is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelight distributionVSAvoidshape adaptability
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The optical plate incorporates adjustable or selectable microstructure patterns that can be configured for different lighting scenarios. The system can adapt its optical characteristics by changing which microstructure regions are activated or by reconfiguring the light source positioning relative to the micropatterns.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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 lighting device that can be mounted in thin ceilings, provides flexible and customized light distribution, and achieves effective glare suppression, all while maintaining an aesthetically clean appearance.

Implementation Method 1

The optical arrangement has a microstructure with a plurality of refractive cells configured to shape the light passing through the optical arrangement. Each of the plurality of refractive cells has a shoulder angle relative to the main direction of light propagation.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRefraction: Refraction

Data Source

PatentEP3770491B1Lighting device
Publication Date: 2025.05.21 REGENT BELEUCHTUNGSKORPER
  • EP3770491B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3770491B1 patent drawingFigure 3~6

AI summary

A lighting device (1) comprises a plurality of LED light sources (2) each provided with a collimating member (3) having a main direction of light propagation (33), and an at least partially transparent optical arrangement (4, 6) positioned adjacent to the collimating members (3) such that light generated by the LED light sources (2) and propagated by the collimating members (3) into the main direction of light propagation (33) passes through the optical arrangement (4, 6). The optical arrangement (4, 6) has a microstructure (41) with a plurality of refractive cells (43) configured to shape the light passing through the optical arrangement (4, 6). Each of the plurality of refractive cells has a shoulder angle relative to the main direction of light propagation and the plurality of refractive cells (43) has refractive cells (43) with differing shoulder angles.