Operation Light with Planar Reflectors for Uniform Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing LED operation lights, such as those used in dental operations, face challenges in efficiently collecting and directing light to produce a uniform intensity pattern without causing glare, as they often waste high-intensity light emitted at small angles and struggle to create sharp-edged light patterns due to limitations in reflector and lens designs.
Innovation Solution
The use of multiple small, planar reflecting surfaces arranged to collect and direct light from LED sources, allowing for the creation of light patterns with desired contrast and intensity distribution, enabling efficient light collection and sharp-edged patterns without the need for collimating the light beam.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a reflector is arranged to collect and focus light emitted at large angles from the LED surface, then light collection efficiency is improved, but the high-intensity light emitted at small angles is wasted and the edge sharpness of the light pattern deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The reflector is divided into multiple planar reflecting surfaces arranged at different orientations. Each surface is optimized to reflect light from specific angular ranges, allowing simultaneous collection of both large-angle and small-angle light while maintaining edge sharpness through the combined effect of multiple surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the reflector are designed with different local properties - some surfaces are optimized for reflecting large-angle light while others handle small-angle light. This local optimization allows each region to contribute to specific aspects of light collection without compromising the overall edge sharpness.
2Loss of energy
If a lens is placed close to the light-emitting surface to collect light emitted at angles, then light collection capacity is improved, but the lens obstructs reflected light and the light pattern intensity and edge sharpness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The lens is completely removed from the optical path. Instead of using a lens to collect angled light, the patent employs multiple planar reflecting surfaces that perform the same function without obstructing the reflected light path, thereby maintaining both light collection capacity and edge sharpness.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical function previously performed by a lens (refracting and focusing light) is replaced by a reflective system using multiple planar surfaces. This substitution eliminates the obstruction problem inherent in lens-based designs while achieving comparable or superior light collection efficiency.
3Device complexity
If the light-emitting surface is directed towards the object to be illuminated, then the LED structure is simplified, but the intensity distribution and light pattern uniformity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The light collection system is segmented into multiple planar reflecting surfaces arranged at different orientations. This segmentation allows the system to compensate for the simple LED structure by distributing and redirecting light from multiple angles, thereby achieving uniform intensity patterns without complicating the LED itself.
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 solution enables the production of light patterns with uniform intensity and sharp edges, reducing glare and allowing for effective illumination with fewer or lower-power LEDs, while maintaining high light collection efficiency and flexibility in pattern design.
Implementation Method 1
an ordinary incandescent lamp is simply replaced by a light emitting diode, in other words LED. While emitting light from the surface of a semiconductor a LED produces an intensity distribution wherein the intensity is proportional to the angle formed between the normal to this surface and the observer
Implementation Method 2
arrange a reflector at an angle relative to the normal to the light-emitting surface for collecting and directing the light being emitted
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
The invention relates to an operation light, comprising at least one light-emitting component (9) and at least one light- reflecting surface Mn and in which the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting component (9) is so arranged in the operation light that all or substantially all of the light produced by the operation light consists of light reflected from the reflecting surface, and for each light-emitting component (9) at least one substantially planar light-reflecting surface Mn is provided so that the dimensions of the light-emitting surface of each light-emitting component (9), the direction of the normal to the surface and the distance of the surface in relation to the size of the reflecting surface Mn arranged for the light-emitting component (9) in question, to the direction of the normal to the surface and to the distance of the surface from the surface (11) to be illuminated have been so arranged that the operation light produces on the surface to be illuminated a light pattern of a given shape and size wherein the light intensity in the penumbral shadow area formed at the edges of the light pattern falls in a desired manner.