Patent ID: 7178946
Filing Date: 2007-02-20
Classification: F21V,F21Y,G02B,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A luminaire, comprising: a light waveguide; a collimator mounted adjacent the waveguide and operable to pass light to an input end of the waveguide; a lamp located on a side of the collimator opposite to that of the waveguide such that at least some light emanating from the lamp passes through the collimator and enters the waveguide; and a plurality of serially-arranged total internal reflection (TIR) components arranged within the waveguide, wherein at least some light that passes through the collimator enters the waveguide and is cast upon a first one of the serially-arranged TIR components such that at least a first portion of the at least some light is deflected toward an output side of the waveguide, and wherein a second portion of the light that falls upon the first one of the serially-arranged TIR components, but defeats total internal reflection characteristics of that first TIR component, is cast upon a second one of the serially-arranged TIR components and is deflected toward the output side of the waveguide.