The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 14, 2021
Filed:
Aug. 01, 2018
3m Innovative Properties Company, St. Paul, MN (US);
Tao Liu, Woodbury, MN (US);
Yongshang Lu, Woodbury, MN (US);
David C. Mercord, Prescott, WI (US);
Brian W. Ostlie, Hudson, WI (US);
3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY, St. Paul, MN (US);
Abstract
An optical system comprises a lightguide having an elongated recess formed therein. The recess divides the lightguide into a first lightguide section a second larger lightguide section. Light extractors are disposed in the second, but not the first, lightguide section for extracting light that would otherwise propagate within and along the second lightguide section via total internal reflection (TIR). The depth of the recess varies along its length. The inclusion of a recess having a depth that varies along its length provides design flexibility in the number and location of light source(s) used by the optical system.