Prismatic Rod Light Guide for Uniform LED Color Mixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing light guide systems and arrangements suffer from limited tolerance capabilities for color mixing and light distribution, leading to issues such as poor light uniformity, higher glare, and insufficient color mixing, which deteriorate the attractiveness and comfort of the emitted light.
Innovation Solution
A lighting arrangement featuring a rod-shaped light guide element with a prismatic structure and surface roughness, including a saw-tooth profile and specific vertex configurations, which enhances Total Internal Reflection (TIR) and improves color mixing, while reducing glare through optimized optical performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If traditional light guide systems are used, then light guiding function is provided, but light uniformity deteriorates and glare increases
Solution Approach 1:
The side surface of the rod-shaped light guide element is segmented into multiple prismatic structures with saw-tooth profiles, creating numerous small reflection surfaces that distribute light more uniformly and reduce glare hotspots
Solution Approach 2:
The prismatic structures feature asymmetric saw-tooth profiles with specific angles and orientations, optimizing the reflection patterns to achieve uniform light distribution while minimizing glare effects
2Device complexity
If simple light guide structures are used, then device complexity is reduced, but color mixing capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The prismatic structures are localized specifically on the side surface of the rod-shaped light guide element, providing enhanced color mixing functionality only where needed while keeping the rest of the structure simple
Solution Approach 2:
The saw-tooth prismatic structures extend along the longitudinal axis of the rod-shaped light guide element, adding a third dimension to the light mixing process and improving color blending without significantly increasing overall structural complexity
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional light guide surfaces are used, then manufacturing is simplified, but optical performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The prismatic structures incorporate specific geometric parameters including saw-tooth angles, vertex densities (at least 10 vertices), and surface roughness values, which are optimized to achieve superior optical performance while remaining manufacturable
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 provides improved light uniformity, reduced glare, and enhanced color mixing, resulting in a more appealing and uniform light output with a filament-like appearance.
Implementation Method 1
the surface roughness of the prismatic structure disrupts the Total Internal Reflections, TIR, of part of the light emitted from the LED light source which is coupled into and transported via TIR through the rod-shaped light guide element
Implementation Method 2
the lighting arrangement is able to provide sufficient color mixing with a filament-kind of appearance and to prevent glare originating from reflections at the interface between the reflector and the light guide element
Data Source
AI summary
A lighting arrangement (100), comprising: a light emitting diode. LED (110) light source, arranged to emit LED light (111), a reflector (120), a rod-shaped light guide element (130) extending along a principal axis, A, wherein the light guide element is arranged between the LED light source and the reflector, and wherein a side surface (140) of the light guide element comprises a prismatic structure (150) of which a cross section. CS. perpendicular to the principal axis, A, comprises a saw-tooth profile (160) around a circumference of the light guide element with at least 10 vertices (170) extending in a radial direction, Ra, of the light guide element, whereby the vertices define edges (180) of the prismatic structure extending parallel to the principal axis, A, and wherein the prismatic structure comprises a surface roughness, SR.