Linear LED Lamp Assembly with Specular Reflector for Uniform Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lighting methods, such as incandescent and discharge lamps, suffer from low power efficiency and require compound optics to achieve uniform illumination, while solid-state light-emitting devices face challenges in heat management and directional light emission, leading to inefficient and non-uniform illumination in large, flat surface applications.
Innovation Solution
A lamp assembly comprising a light source with light-emitting devices oriented to emit light in a specific direction, a specularly reflecting surface to redirect light, and a heat sink for thermal management, which together ensure uniform and efficient illumination by complementing direct and reflected light distributions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If incandescent lamps are used to provide illumination, then light can be emitted in all directions, but power efficiency is low (5% or lower) and compound optics are required to distribute light efficiently over a limited area
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the light source into multiple discrete LED elements arranged in a specific geometric pattern, allowing each element to contribute to the overall illumination pattern without requiring complex compound optics. This segmentation enables efficient light distribution while maintaining high power efficiency of solid-state devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by positioning LEDs at specific locations (vertices of a polyhedron) with specific orientations to create uniform illumination on a target surface. Each LED's light distribution is optimized for its local position, and the collective arrangement achieves uniform overall illumination without requiring complex optics.
2Use of energy by moving object
If solid-state light-emitting devices are used to achieve high power efficiency (20-40%), then heat management becomes challenging and light emission is limited to a half-space due to heat sink attachment
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of attaching LEDs to heat sinks that block light emission in certain directions, the patent inverts the conventional approach by strategically positioning and orienting LEDs so that their emission patterns work together to illuminate a target surface. The heat sink attachment is designed to minimize light blocking while maintaining thermal management, allowing efficient solid-state devices to achieve versatile illumination.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from conventional two-dimensional LED arrangements to a three-dimensional geometric configuration (vertices of a polyhedron), adding spatial dimensionality to the light source arrangement. This dimensional change enables uniform illumination on large flat surfaces while maintaining the directional emission characteristics of solid-state devices.
3Illumination intensity
If conventional spotlights or floodlights are used for illumination, then light can be emitted in specific directions, but illumination uniformity on large flat surfaces is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the illumination task among multiple LED elements positioned at polyhedron vertices, with each element contributing to a specific portion of the illuminated surface. This segmentation of the light source into spatially distributed elements enables uniform illumination across large flat surfaces while maintaining directional control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the light output from multiple discrete LED elements positioned at different locations and orientations into a unified illumination pattern on the target surface. By combining the contributions of all LED elements in the polyhedral arrangement, uniform illumination is achieved across the entire illuminated area.
4Stability of the object's composition
If projection optics are used to achieve uniform illumination on large surfaces, then illumination uniformity improves, but cost increases significantly and light source must be positioned at inconvenient distances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the uniform illumination function from complex projection optics and achieves it through a simpler geometric arrangement of multiple LED elements. By removing the need for expensive projection lenses and mirrors, the invention maintains illumination uniformity while reducing system complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates multiple virtual light sources by positioning LEDs at the vertices of a polyhedron, effectively copying the light emission function across multiple spatial locations. This array of copied light sources produces uniform illumination on the target surface without requiring complex projection optics.
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 more uniform and efficient illumination on large, flat surfaces by optimizing light distribution and heat management, enhancing the overall lighting efficacy and reducing the need for expensive projection optics.
Implementation Method 1
the remainder of the heat must be removed by thermal conduction through a heat sink
Implementation Method 2
transfers the heat to the surrounding air by way of convection over a large surface area
Implementation Method 3
a specularly reflecting surface to redirect light
Data Source
AI summary
A lamp assembly (500) may include a linear light-emitting array (100) and a reflecting surface (101) arranged to limit the angular distribution of direct light while supplementing with reflected light the intensity of the direct light on a flat surface (102) of an object being illuminated. The reflecting surface (101) may be shaped to cause the distribution of the total illumination over the illuminated portion of the flat surface (102) to be uniform or to be linearly tapered or to have another desired profile. The reflecting surface (101) may be part of a heat-sinking reflector (300) that may include a mounting surface (302), a blind (303), oblong mounting holes (304) allowing rotational adjustment, heat sink mounting holes (305), and/or one or more exit holes (307), and that may have end pieces (400) attached to it.