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 then passes through a nip formed between the second roll and a continuous belt looped around a third roll and a fourth roll spaced from one another. 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 flat cooling area through which the belt passes while the first major surface of the sheet is still in contact with the embossing pattern on the belt.

Abstract: A lighting assembly includes an LED light source assembly and a unitary light-transmissive solid reflector optical element. The reflector optical element has a light output surface and n light-transmissive solid optical sub-elements having n-fold rotationally symmetrical about a central axis. Boundaries between adjacent optical sub-elements extend radially outward from the central axis. Each optical sub-element has a reflective surface positioned opposite the light output surface on the optical sub-element and shaped to create an internal reflection effect. The LED light source assembly has an LED light source for each optical sub-element. The LED light sources are positioned along an outline near the light output surface to direct light from each LED light source towards the reflective surface of the respective optical sub-element such that the light is reflected by the reflective surface to form an output light that exits the reflector optical element through the light output surface.

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 source to emit on-axis light rays at smaller angles relative to an optical axis of the light source, and off-axis light rays at larger angles relative to the optical axis and spectrally different from the on-axis light rays. The lighting assembly additionally includes a light guide having a light input edge adjacent the light source and opposed major surfaces between which light from the light source propagates by total internal reflection. The light input edge has an edge feature aligned with the light source to receive light therefrom. The edge feature specularly redirects the on-axis light rays and the off-axis light rays differently to increase overlap between the on-axis light rays and the off-axis light rays within the light guide. The increased overlap reduces spatial color variation of light extracted from the light guide between locations at different angles from the optical axis.

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: 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 guide having a first major surface, a second major surface opposite the first major surface, a light input edge, and an end edge distal the light input edge. Light input to the light guide through the light input edge propagates by total internal reflection toward the end edge. The lighting assembly further includes light extracting elements at least one of the major surfaces of the light guide, the light extracting elements configured to extract light through the first major surface in a direction away from the light input edge and away from the first major surface, and a banding reduction element at the end edge configured to redirect light incident thereon in a direction away from the light input edge.

Abstract: A light bulb includes a base, light guide, and light source. The base is configured to mechanically mount the light bulb and receive electrical power. The light guide includes light input regions, at least one of the light input regions associated with an optical modifying characteristic, the light guide 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 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 light bulb 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 light input regions.

Abstract: A light bulb includes a light guide, light source, and housing. The light guide is configured as an open-ended hollow body surrounding an internal volume and defining a longitudinal axis. The light guide has inner and outer major surfaces. The light source is configured to edge light the light guide. The housing is at one end of the light guide. In one embodiment, fins extend from the housing adjacent the outer major surface, each fin separated from the outer major surface by an air gap to allow air flow between the fin and outer major surface. In another embodiment, a heat sink is disposed in the internal volume and configured as a hollow body with a branched cross section. Each branch extends outward from a common center and defines an air flow channel that terminates in an orifice aligned with a respective through-slot of the light guide.

Abstract: A lighting assembly includes an edge-lit light guide and a light redirecting member. Light extracting elements at the light guide extract light from the light guide as intermediate light. Light redirecting elements at the light redirecting film are configured to redirect the intermediate light received from the light guide to illuminate a target surface in accordance with a defined illumination profile.

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: An optical assembly includes a light emitting panel having a light output surface with non-uniform directional light output distribution, and a light redirecting film located to receive light emitted from the light output surface. The light redirecting film has a pattern of individual non-prismatic optical elements of well defined shape with a total of two surfaces that intersect each other, the shape varying at different locations on the light redirecting film to redistribute the light received from the light output surface within a desired light ray angle distribution.

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: 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 bulb includes a base for mechanically mounting the light bulb and for receiving electrical power, a light guide, and a light source that directs output light into the light guide. The light source includes a light emitting device that emits light, and a variable spectrum adjuster that is variably positionable relative the light path of light emitted by the light emitting device. The spectrum adjuster includes a region of continuously-variable spectrum-adjusting material, usable for adjusting the spectrum of light passing through the spectrum adjuster. In some embodiments, the spectrum adjusting material is a color-attenuating material, such as a filtering material. In other embodiments, the spectrum-adjusting material is a wavelength-shifting material, such as a phosphor, or another suitable type of material that shifts the wavelength of light incident.

Abstract: A lighting assembly includes a light guide and a light source. The light guide has opposed major surfaces and side surfaces extending between the major surfaces. The light source is at an apex region between two side surfaces and is configured to input light to the light guide. The side surfaces comprise a stepped reflective side surface extending from the apex region and comprising a first reflective step and a second reflective step, and an output side surface extending from the apex region and comprising a first output region and a second output region. The first reflective step is configured to reflect a first portion of input light through the first output region. The second step is configured to reflect a second portion of input light through the second output region. The second output region comprises segments oriented nominally normal to the reflected second portion of the light incident thereon.

Abstract: A light bulb has a light guide configured as a hollow body surrounding an internal volume. The light guide is open at its proximal and distal ends, and has inner and outer surfaces and an end surface at the proximal end that provides a light input edge. A solid-state light source is optically coupled to the light input edge of the light guide such that light from the solid-state light source travels in the light guide by total internal reflection. The solid-state light source is thermally coupled to a housing at the proximal end of the light guide. The housing contains vents for air flow and convection cooling through the internal volume. Light-extracting optical elements at least one of the inner surface and the outer surface of the light guide are for extracting light from the light guide.

Abstract: A lighting assembly has an edge-lit light guide having a light output surface through which light is extracted by light extracting optical elements. The extracted light has a maximum intensity at low light ray angles relative to the light output surface. A light redirecting member has an arrangement of light redirecting optical elements configured to redirect the extracted light incident thereon to provide a pattern of redirected light. A light focusing member has light focusing optical elements having an angular acceptance range. The redirected light has light ray angles within the angular acceptance range of the light focusing optical elements and is perceived as a pattern of light. The extracted light not redirected by the light redirecting member has light ray angles outside the angular acceptance range of the light focusing optical elements and is not perceived, or is perceived as background light.