Lumitex, Inc.

Solid State Opto Limited

Rambus Delaware LLC

Jeffrey R Parker

Timothy A McCollum

Ian Hardcastle

Jeffrey B Williams

Fumitomo Hide

Alexey Titov

Robert Michael Ezell

Gregory A Coghlan

Matthew R Wancata

Robert H Caywood

A lighting assembly includes a light guide to propagate light by total internal reflection and having a light output region on a major surface thereof. The lighting assembly also includes an optical adjuster having a major surface juxtaposed with and conforming to the light guide's major surface. The optical adjuster has a first region and a second region, the first region having a light modifying characteristic. The optical adjuster and light output region are variably positionable relative to one another to selectively apportion light emitted from the light output region between the first region and the second region. In this way, light apportioned to the first region is modified by the light modifying characteristic so that light output from the lighting assembly is modified based on relative positioning of the optical adjuster and the light guide.

Lighting assembly with adjustable light output

A lighting assembly includes a light engine and a light guide. The light engine edge lights the light guide and includes a control assembly that controls light output according to one or more parameters to produce light output from the lighting assembly with a desired characteristic. Lighting assemblies are combined to form a modular lighting assembly.

Lighting assembly

Light emitting panel assembly includes an optically conductive panel member having at least one input surface and a greater cross-sectional width than thickness, and at least one light transition emitter having a light emitting surface in close proximity to the light input surface. The light emitting surface has an output distribution defined by a greater width component than height component, a thickness equal to or less than the thickness of the panel member and a greater width than thickness in the width direction of the panel member. A reflector extends around the light source and is shaped to reflect and focus the light emitted from the light source at an acceptable angle for entering the light source.

Light emitting panel assemblies

Light emitting panel assemblies include a light guide having a pattern of individual deformities of well defined shape that are projections or depressions on or in at least one side of the light guide. At least some of the deformities are quite small in relation to the width and length of the light guide and have two or more surfaces that come together to form ridges. At least some of the ridges are nonlinear over a majority of their length and have opposite end points that intersect the light guide or other deformities where the ridges end.

Light emitting assemblies include a panel member having two or more light sources, and at least one film, sheet, plate or substrate positioned in close proximity to the panel member with an air gap or cavity therebetween. Deformities on at least one surface of the panel member cause light from the light sources that mixes in the panel member to emit from the panel member. The air gap or cavity and the film, sheet, plate or substrate improve the uniformity of the light output distribution from the assembly.

An optical splitter for distributing a beam of light along a plurality of output paths. The amount of light output from each output path is user adjustable according to one embodiment of the present invention. In another embodiment the amount of light output from each output path is determined by the arrangement of the optical splitter. The present invention allows a single high-power high-intensity light generation source to simultaneously provide light to a plurality of lighting devices, instruments or tools.

Variable optical splitter

A protective cover for protecting a lighting device from direct contact with contaminants or components which may interfere with proper operation thereof. The contaminant (e.g., blood, body tissue, dirt, oil, grease, paint, etc.) or other component (e.g., adhesive pad) can interfere with the desired internal reflection of the light propogating through a light transmitting member, by changing the angle of reflection of the propagating light. The result is that optical energy is absorbed by the contaminant or component and converted to heat, thus causing the contaminant or component to quickly rise to an undesirable temperature. The present invention protects a lighting device from such interference, while maintaining its versatility.

Protective cover for a lighting device

Light emitting panel assemblies and method of making same include one or more layers of woven fiber optic material having disruptions or bends at discrete locations along the length of the fibers to allow light to be emitted therefrom. Only selected areas of the disruptions or bends are coated with a suitable coating material that has a refractive index that changes the attenuation of the light emitted from the selected areas. The coating material may be applied to the selected areas using one or more carrier members which become part of the panel. Alternatively, a non-permanent carrier such as a roller may be used to coat selected areas of the optical fiber disruptions or bends with the coating material after the weaving process.

Light emitting panel assemblies and method of making same

Reflector and light systems include collecting and back reflecting surfaces that efficiently collect the energy produced by a light source and redirect the light back through the collecting surface without restriking the collecting surface or the light source. The reflected light does not reach the focus for the back reflecting surface until the light exits the system. A lens-end bulb may be used as the light source to produce a projected cone of light that is focused on a target that is positioned in front of the second focus and a reflected cone of light that is focused on the same target. In one form of the invention, the back reflecting surface is eliminated to permit the projected light to be focused on one target located externally of one end of the system and the reflected light to be focused on another target located externally of the other end of the system.

Reflector and light system

A light emitting panel and method of making same including an emitter surface having one or more layers of woven fiber optic material with disruptions or bends as discrete locations along the length of the fibers to allow light to be emitted therefrom and which are coated to change the attenuation of the fibers to increase the amount of light emitted therefrom. The panel is particularly suitable for use as a back light for a liquid crystal or other device, the light being transmitted to the emitter surface from a remote light source through a cable or light pipe connected to one or both ends of the emitter surface.

Growing community of inventors

Richfield, OH, United States of America

Jeffrey R Parker