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:
Sep. 10, 1996
Filed:
Jan. 23, 1995
Jerry Kuper, Martinsville, NJ (US);
Leon Segal, Randolph, NJ (US);
Karl W Beeson, Princeton, NJ (US);
Scott M Zimmerman, Basking Ridge, NJ (US);
AllieSignal Inc., Morris Township, NJ (US);
Abstract
A light directing optical structure is formed of a light waveguide preferably made of clear plastic; attached to or formed with the waveguide are a multiplicity of prisms. Each prism, due to its index of refraction, provides an aperature where light may escape the waveguide rather than remain confined due to total internal refraction. The light escaping the waveguide is reflected from a side face of the prism, and redirected in a desired direction. The propagation paths within the waveguide are such that the light emerging through the aperature is of only a fairly closely constrained range of angles; as a result the light that is redirected by the side face of the prism is of a similarly constrained range of angles. The geometry of the prism can be optimized to direct the output light perpendicular to the plane, or at a desired angle other than perpendicular. The optical structure can receive a light input along an edge, or along several edges, and its output beam is perpendicular to the structure or at some desired angle other than perpendicular. There is no restriction on the distribution and uniformity of the light input, yet the ouput is a directed and intensity controlled light source. Configurations are disclosed adapting the structure to several different possible light distribution patterns.