Reflective Light Guide Tube with Conical Geometry for LED Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing light guide tubes for LED lamps face challenges in manufacturing complexity, cost, light uniformity, and stability due to the use of plastic materials, which have low transmittance and heat resistance issues, and struggle with optical angle control and color uniformity.
Innovation Solution
A reflective light guide tube composed of a cone-shaped cylinder enclosed by multiple reflecting plates with a reflecting layer on the inner surface, connected using mucilage glue, allowing for efficient light reflection and mixing, reducing manufacturing costs and improving light uniformity and heat resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If plastic light guide pillars are used for light guiding, then light guiding function is achieved through total internal reflection, but light guiding stability is reduced due to external influences such as oil pollution and contact matters
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses glass material instead of plastic to create the light guide tube. Glass provides higher stability against external influences like oil pollution and contact matters, while maintaining the light guiding function through controlled reflection at the glass-air boundary. The conical structure with specific angle design ensures stable light guidance regardless of external contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters by using a conical structure with a specific half-angle (less than 45 degrees) instead of a cylindrical or arbitrary shape. This angular parameter control ensures that light rays undergo predictable reflections and exit through the larger base, maintaining stable light guiding performance under various external conditions.
2Quantity of substance
If plastic materials are used for light guide pillars, then manufacturing is simplified, but transmittance is reduced when light travels longer distances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes glass material for plastic to create the light guide tube. Glass exhibits superior light transmittance properties, especially for longer travel distances, while the conical geometry optimizes the light path to minimize absorption and scattering losses throughout the structure.
3Temperature
If plastic materials are used for light guide pillars, then manufacturing is easier, but heat resistance is reduced causing burning phenomenon near the light source
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs glass material instead of plastic to construct the light guide tube. Glass provides excellent heat resistance, preventing burning phenomena near the high-temperature light source region, while the conical geometry with controlled angles facilitates efficient light extraction and reduces heat accumulation.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional light guide tubes are used, then light guiding function is achieved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase due to cone shape requirement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the conical light guide tube into multiple frustoconical sections with different half-angles. Each section is designed to handle specific angular ranges of incident light, enabling precise control over light extraction angles while simplifying the manufacturing process through modular assembly of standardized components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different half-angles to different sections of the light guide tube based on the local requirements for light extraction. The upper sections have smaller half-angles for collimated light output, while lower sections have larger half-angles for broader light distribution, optimizing performance at each location without requiring a completely custom complex geometry.
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 enables easier and cost-effective manufacturing of light guide tubes with high reflectivity, uniform light emission, and improved temperature resistance, achieving more uniform color and reduced optical angle, thus addressing the challenges of existing technologies.
Implementation Method 1
a reflective light guide tube, comprising a cylinder enclosed by more than three reflecting plates which connected with each other in turn, the reflecting plate comprising a plate body and a reflecting layer arranged on the plate body
Implementation Method 2
along the exit direction of light, the cylinder comprising a light inlet part, a light reflecting part and a light outlet part in turn, wherein the light outlet part larger than the light inlet part such that the cylinder being cone shaped
Data Source
AI summary
A reflective light guide includes a cylinder enclosed by more than three reflecting plates which connected with each other in turn. The reflecting plate includes a plate body and a reflecting layer arranged on the plate body, along the exit direction of light. The cylinder includes a light inlet part, a light reflecting part and a light outlet part in turn, wherein the light outlet part larger than the light inlet part such that the cylinder being cone shaped. The LED light source with a reflective light guide tube includes a LED light source and a reflective light guide tube. The optical system includes a reflective light guide tube, a LED light source and an optical assembly.