Multicolor Illumination Device Using Moving Plate With Wavelength Conversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional multicolor lighting devices face challenges in achieving high power and high brightness while generating a wide range of colors, often requiring multiple light sources and complex mechanisms like color wheels or phosphor materials that are not efficient for fast emission responses.
Innovation Solution
The use of an excitation light source combined with a multi-segmented moving plate containing different wavelength conversion materials, where the plate is rotated or oscillated to expose different segments to the light source, along with focusing optics and dichroic filters to enhance brightness and color generation, allows for efficient production of high power and high brightness multicolor light.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple light sources are used to generate different colors, then color variety is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the wavelength conversion function into multiple segments on a single moving plate, with each segment containing different phosphor materials (e.g., red, green, blue phosphors) that convert the excitation light to different colors. This segmentation allows color variety while maintaining a single light source, reducing device complexity compared to using multiple separate light sources.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a moving plate that rotates or oscillates to bring different phosphor segments into the excitation light path sequentially. This dynamic mechanism enables color switching without requiring multiple stationary light sources, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining adaptability for generating multiple colors.
2Adaptability or versatility
If color wheels with filters are used, then color generation is improved, but emission response speed deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional mechanical color wheel with filters with a moving plate containing phosphor materials. Phosphors convert excitation light to different colors through photoluminescence, eliminating the need for mechanical filtering. This substitution maintains color generation capability while significantly improving emission response speed, as phosphors respond almost instantaneously to excitation light compared to mechanical filter rotation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of color generation from optical filtering to wavelength conversion. By using phosphor materials with different emission characteristics excited by a single light source, the system achieves fast color switching without the mechanical limitations of rotating filters, thereby improving emission response speed while maintaining color generation versatility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional wavelength conversion materials are used, then color generation is achieved, but brightness and power output are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite phosphor materials on the moving plate, combining multiple phosphor types (red, green, blue) that can be simultaneously or sequentially excited. This composite approach allows efficient wavelength conversion with high brightness output for each color, overcoming the limitation of single phosphor materials while maintaining color generation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic rotation or oscillation of the moving plate to sequentially present different phosphor segments to the excitation light. This periodic action enables high brightness output for each color during its excitation phase, while the rapid cycling maintains overall color versatility. The periodic excitation ensures each phosphor material receives sufficient energy for high brightness emission.
4Power
If multiple light sources are used, then high power multicolor light is achieved, but energy efficiency and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes a single excitation light source perform multiple functions by using it to excite different phosphor materials on the moving plate. This single light source generates multiple colors through wavelength conversion, eliminating the need for multiple separate light sources. The result is high power multicolor light output with improved energy efficiency, as one optimized excitation source serves all color generation needs rather than requiring multiple less-efficient sources.
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 approach enables the generation of high power and high brightness multicolor light with rapid color alternation and modulation, suitable for applications like image projection systems, without the need for complex color division multiplexers or multiple light sources, and allows for flexible peak wavelength adjustment and intensity modulation.
Implementation Method 1
wavelength conversion methods that use excitation light produced by solid-state light source such as laser diodes (LDs) or light emitting diodes (LEDs) and wavelength conversion materials such as phosphors or quantum dots
Implementation Method 2
a phosphor that fluoresces at a second wavelength when illuminated with light of the first wavelength
Implementation Method 3
the plate is rotated or oscillated to expose different segments to the light source
Implementation Method 4
Etendue conserved focusing optics
Implementation Method 5
dichroic filters to enhance brightness and color generation
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3a~5
Figure 4
AI summary
An illumination device, comprising: a light source for generating an excitation light; a plate contains a wavelength conversion material capable of absorbing the excitation light and emitting light having wavelengths different from that of the excitation light; and an optic fiber coupler or an optic fiber bundle between the light source and the plate for transmitting the excitation light to the wavelength conversion material; wherein the light source is a laser diode or a light emitting diode, or the light source includes multiple laser diodes, multiple light emitting diodes, or both laser diodes and light emitting diodes; and wherein the optic fiber coupler or the optic fiber bundle combines excitation light generated by the light source.