Abstract: A lighting assembly includes a light guide and solid-state light emitters to edge-light the light guide, the light emitters arrayed along a transverse direction. The light guide includes two or more sets of optical elements of well-defined shape. Light output from the lighting assembly by the first and second set of optical elements have a first and a second light ray angle distribution, respectively. The optical elements are configured such that when measured in a plane perpendicular to the light guide and the transverse direction: 1) the first and second light ray angle distributions are significantly narrower than an omnidirectional output distribution; and 2) the peak of the second light ray angle distribution is displaced from the peak of the first light ray angle distribution.

Abstract: An optical assembly includes a light emitting panel member having opposite sides and at least one input edge for receiving light from at least one light source, and a pattern of individual optical deformities on or in at least one of the sides for producing a light output distribution from a light emitting surface area of the panel member. Different sets of the optical deformities within the pattern each having at least one surface that is shaped or oriented to extract light propagating through the panel member in respective different directions from multiple regions of the light emitting surface area of the panel member.

Abstract: A light guide includes opposed major surfaces and a light input edge extending therebetween. An array of micro-optical elements of well-defined shape at at least one of the opposed major surfaces corresponds to the light input edge. Each of the micro-optical elements in the array includes a longitudinal axis arranged within the range of angles relative to the light input edge. A path linearly extending along the light guide from the light input edge intersects at least a portion of the micro-optical elements in the array, at least one of the micro-optical elements along the path arranged with its longitudinal axis at a positive angle relative to the light input edge, and at least another one of the micro-optical elements along the path arranged with its longitudinal axis at a negative angle relative to the light input edge.

Abstract: A light guide includes a first major surface; a second major surface opposed the first major surface and spaced apart from the first major surface in a thickness direction; a light input edge extending between the major surfaces; and light extracting elements at the first major surface. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the light extracting elements each include: a proximal end at the first major surface and a distal end in the thickness direction; and first and second surfaces, the first surface being a side surface extending between the proximal end and the distal end and having a curvature about a direction extending in a plane parallel to the first major surface. In some embodiments, the major surface of the light guide is curved and the first surface has a curvature about a direction extending along a surface contour of the first major surface.

Abstract: A lighting assembly includes a light guide having opposed major surfaces between which light propagates by total internal reflection and a light input edge. The light assembly also includes a light engine. The light engine has a heat conductive armature having a receptacle for a portion of the light guide that includes the light input edge and a light source retained by and thermally coupled to the armature. The armature functions as a heat sink for dissipating heat generated by the light source. The light guide is mechanically retained in the receptacle, and the light guide and the armature cooperate to align the light input edge with the light source for inputting light from the light source into the light guide through the light input edge.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A modular light-emitting panel assembly has first and second light guides edge lit by respective light sources. Each light guide has a light input edge, opposed side edges, opposed major surfaces and a pattern of light extracting elements at at least one of the major surfaces. The light guides are juxtaposed with a side edge of the first light guide abutting a side edge of the second light guide at a seam and with the major surfaces nominally coplanar. Various embodiments of the panel assembly additionally include respective structures that reduce visibility of the seam when the light sources illuminate the panel assembly.

Abstract: Optical elements with small increments in average density are formed in a substrate by laser micromachining using a variable aperture and a pattern mask set of pattern masks each having of shape-defining elements whose density differs among the pattern masks in first density increments. A laser light beam passes through a combined mask formed by the variable aperture and one pattern mask selected from the pattern mask set. The variable aperture controls beam size and the pattern mask spatially modulates its intensity. A focusing element focuses light from the combined mask on a small averaging region of the substrate. Different combinations of the size of the aperture mask and the selected pattern mask are used in combination at respective averaging regions of the substrate. The resulting average densities of the optical elements vary among the averaging regions in increments that are small compared to the first density increments.

Abstract: A light guide includes opposed major surfaces and a light input edge extending therebetween. An array of micro-optical elements of well-defined shape at at least one of the opposed major surfaces corresponds to the light input edge. Each of the micro-optical elements in the array includes a longitudinal axis arranged within the range of angles relative to the light input edge. A path linearly extending along the light guide from the light input edge intersects at least a portion of the micro-optical elements in the array, at least one of the micro-optical elements along the path arranged with its longitudinal axis at a positive angle relative to the light input edge, and at least another one of the micro-optical elements along the path arranged with its longitudinal axis at a negative angle relative to the light input edge.

Abstract: Extrusion-to-sheet production line and method comprise first and second rolls set to a predetermined gap through which a continuously-extruded sheet of molten plastic material passes to calender the sheet to a predetermined thickness. The sheet passes through a nip formed between the second roll and a continuous belt looped around a third roll and a fourth roll. The belt comprises an embossing pattern of optical element shapes that is an inverse pattern of optical element shapes to be embossed at a first major surface of the sheet. The sheet remains in contact with the second roll until the sheet passes through the nip, where the pattern of optical element shapes on the belt is embossed into the first major surfaces of the sheet. Downstream of the third roll is a cooling area through which the belt passes.

Abstract: A cover element for use in a lighting assembly that includes an edge-lit light guide. The cover element includes a first major surface through which light output by the light guide enters the cover element, the light including light propagating at high angles relative to normal to the first major surface of the cover element. The cover element also includes a second major surface opposed to the first major surface and having optical elements that each have plural surfaces arranged relative one another so that the optical element redirects high angle light incident on any one of the surfaces of the optical element and travelling in a direction with any vector component orthogonal to the normal to have a reduced angle in the normal direction as the light exits the cover element through the optical element.

Abstract: An article of manufacture includes first and second micro-features of well-defined shape. In some embodiments, the article of manufacture is a light guide or redirecting film and the second micro-features are micro-optical elements configured to disrupt a specular optical path that includes the second micro-optical element. In other embodiments, the article of manufacture is a patterning tool for use in making an optical substrate. Embodiments of the optical substrate are formed by injection molding or embossing using the patterning tool.

Abstract: An optical assembly comprises light sources and a light emitting panel member having an input edge to which each of the light sources is optically coupled at a different location along the input edge. Different sets of individual optical deformities on or in at least one of the sides of the panel member each have at least one surface that is shaped or oriented to extract light propagating in the same direction through the panel member in different directions for viewing from different angles through one of the sides of the panel member.

Abstract: A lighting assembly includes a light guide to propagate light by total internal reflection. A reflector adjacent the second major surface of the light guide includes a reflective surface to reflect extracted light back into the light guide. An anti-wetting component is interposed between the light guide and the reflector and includes opposed major surfaces. At least one of the major surfaces of the anti-wetting component has a high surface roughness. The anti-wetting component is configured to redirect light transmitted therethrough such that an intensity profile of the light output from the first major surface of the light guide is uniform among a first location where the anti-wetting component is in contact with the light guide and the reflector and a second location where the anti-wetting component is not in contact with at least one of the light guide and the reflector.

Abstract: A modular light-emitting panel assembly has first and second light guides edge lit by respective light sources. Each light guide has a light input edge, opposed side edges, opposed major surfaces and a pattern of light extracting elements at at least one of the major surfaces. The light guides are juxtaposed with a side edge of the first light guide abutting a side edge of the second light guide at a seam and with the major surfaces nominally coplanar. Various embodiments of the panel assembly additionally include respective structures that reduce visibility of the seam when the light sources illuminate the panel assembly.

Abstract: An LED lamp or LED lighting assembly includes a light guide having opposed major surfaces configured to propagate light by total internal reflection and a light input edge extending between the major surfaces. A light source is adjacent to the light input edge and is configured to edge light the light guide. In some embodiments, the light source is moveable relative to the light input edge, and the spectrum of the light output from the light guide may be adjusted by movement of the light source relative to the light input edge.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A lighting assembly includes a light guide having opposed major surfaces between which light propagates by total internal reflection, a light input edge, and two light output regions of different optical characteristics and at least one of which is associated with a corresponding one of the major surfaces. The lighting assembly also includes a light source located adjacent the light input edge. The light source and the light guide variably positionable relative to one another to vary a location on the light input edge at which the light is input to the light guide such that the light is emitted from the light guide selectively apportioned between the light output regions so that a characteristic of the light output from the lighting assembly is modified based on the optical characteristics associated with the light output regions and the relative positioning of the light source and the light guide.

Abstract: A lighting assembly comprises a light source and a light guide having a light input edge and a light output surface. Light from the light source enters the light input edge and is propagated within the light guide by total internal reflection. A spectrum adjuster is adjustable or selected to achieve a desired spectrum of the light within the light guide.

Abstract: A lighting assembly includes a light guide and light source. The light guide includes light input regions, at least one of the light input regions associated with an optical modifying characteristic, and the light guide is configured to propagate light by total internal reflection. The light source is located adjacent the light input regions. The light source and light input regions are variably positionable relative to one another to vary a location at which light is incident on the light input regions such that light emitted from the light source is selectively apportioned between the light input regions. A characteristic of the light output from the lighting assembly is modified based on the optical modifying characteristic of the at least one of the light input regions and the relative positioning of the light source and the light input regions.