Lighting Module Prism Arrangement Asymmetric Beam Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lighting modules with point light sources have limited flexibility in light distribution, often resulting in tightly focused light intensity, which restricts their application to specific, small areas and fails to provide wide-beam illumination necessary for larger surfaces like workspaces or pedestrian areas, while also causing glare due to sharp contrast between illuminated and unilluminated regions.
Innovation Solution
A lighting module featuring a rotationally symmetrical collimator lens and a prism arrangement where first prisms are designed and arranged to deflect divergent light into a wider beam angle, allowing for asymmetric light emission and a gradual change in deflection capacity along the radial direction, enabling a wide-beam light distribution that is axially symmetrical to the optical axis, thus illuminating larger areas with reduced intensity and minimizing glare.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If asymmetrical prisms are used to deflect light asymmetrically, then the light intensity distribution is tightly focused, but the number of possible uses is limited and the beam angle is narrow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the deflection capacity of prisms across different radial positions. Prisms at different radial distances from the optical axis have different deflection angles, creating a gradient in light direction control. This allows the system to produce both a central concentrated light region and peripheral diffused light regions, achieving wide-beam illumination while maintaining control over light intensity distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the prism arrangement into multiple functional zones based on radial position. The prism array is divided into regions with different deflection characteristics, allowing independent control of light paths in different areas. This segmentation enables the system to simultaneously provide focused illumination in the center and wide-angle illumination at the periphery, increasing versatility.
2Illumination intensity
If light is emitted asymmetrically with tight focus, then the light intensity is high, but the illumination area is small and glare is caused by sharp contrast
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates local quality variations by implementing position-dependent prism deflection. The central region of the prism array provides strong deflection for focused illumination, while peripheral regions provide weaker deflection for broader illumination. This gradient approach allows high light intensity in the center while extending illumination to larger areas at the periphery, reducing the sharp contrast that causes glare.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic light distribution characteristics through the radial gradient in prism deflection angles. The light distribution transitions from a concentrated central region to a more diffused peripheral region, creating a dynamic intensity profile that adapts to different viewing angles and reduces glare by avoiding abrupt intensity changes.
3Ease of operation
If a complex asymmetrical reflector and auxiliary light arrangements are used, then asymmetric light emission is achieved, but the structure becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves multi-functionality by using a single prism arrangement that simultaneously performs multiple functions: it deflects light asymmetrically, creates wide-beam illumination, and provides both focused and diffused light regions. This unified approach eliminates the need for separate asymmetrical reflectors and auxiliary light arrangements, reducing structural complexity while maintaining asymmetric light emission capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functions of light deflection, light distribution, and beam shaping into a single integrated prism arrangement. By combining multiple functional elements into one component system, the patent achieves asymmetric light emission without the complexity of multiple separate structures, thereby simplifying the overall device design.
4Ease of operation
If prisms are arranged to deflect light asymmetrically, then directional control is achieved, but the beam angle remains limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality variations in prism deflection angles across the radial direction. Prisms near the optical axis provide strong deflection for precise directional control, while prisms at larger radial distances provide weaker deflection that contributes to wider beam angle. This gradient approach simultaneously achieves good directional control and extended beam angle.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extends the beam angle by utilizing the radial dimension of the prism array. Instead of varying only the angular position of prisms, the patent incorporates radial position as an additional degree of freedom, creating a two-dimensional gradient in deflection characteristics. This dimensional expansion allows the system to achieve both directional control and wide beam angle illumination.
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 achieves a wide-beam light distribution that can illuminate larger areas effectively, reducing glare and improving visual comfort by increasing the contrast ratio from different viewing directions, while allowing for precise directional control of light through the prism arrangement, enabling both broader illumination and reduced sharpness of light boundaries.
Implementation Method 1
a rotationally symmetrical collimator lens (5) which is optically coupled to the recording space (3) and has an optical axis (o) and a light entry surface (7) for the emitted light
Implementation Method 2
a prism arrangement (6) which optically follows the collimator lens (5) and has first prisms (7) which extend longitudinally perpendicularly to the optical axis (o) for deflecting the light L that is asymmetrical to the optical axis (o) in a main emission direction a
Implementation Method 3
aligning the light coupled into the collimator lens in parallel, in part by means of internal total reflection on a peripheral surface delimiting the collimator lens
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4b
AI summary
The invention relates to a lighting module (1) and to a lamp (A) having a lighting module (1). The lighting module has a space (3) for accommodating a punctiform light source, such as an LED, in particular a power LED (P), and an optical system (4) for deflecting light (L) emitted from the punctiform light source, wherein the optical system (4) has a rotationally symmetrical collimator lens (5) having an optical axis (o) and a light entry surface (7) for the light (L) and a prism arrangement (6) optically downstream of the collimator lens (5) having longitudinally extending first prisms (8) perpendicular to the optical axis (o) for asymmetric deflection of the light (L) with respect to the optical axis (o). The collimator lens (5) emits the light divergently at a solid angle. Thus the first prisms (8) are designed for correction of the spread light into an at least approximately parallel orientation and/or are disposed relative to one another in a radial directional component (ar) of the emission direction (a). A first prism (8) and/or group of first prisms (8) differ from a subsequent first prism (8) or a subsequent group of prisms with regard to an effective light deflection capacity.