U.S. patent application number 14/060458 was filed with the patent office on 2019-02-28 for beam shaper.
The applicant listed for this patent is Robe Lighting s.r.o. Invention is credited to Pavel Jurik.
Application Number | 20190064533 14/060458 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 52825948 |
Filed Date | 2019-02-28 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190064533 |
Kind Code |
A9 |
Jurik; Pavel |
February 28, 2019 |
BEAM SHAPER
Abstract
Described are an improved automated luminaire and luminaire
systems employing a matching lenslet pair beam shaper. The beam
shaper employs nesting lenslets that are articulated so that the
degree of beam shaping modulation is continuously adjustable across
a range of modulation.
Inventors: |
Jurik; Pavel; (Postredni
Becva, CZ) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Robe Lighting s.r.o |
Roznov pod Radhostem |
|
CZ |
|
|
Prior
Publication: |
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Document Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20150109677 A1 |
April 23, 2015 |
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Family ID: |
52825948 |
Appl. No.: |
14/060458 |
Filed: |
October 22, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12880075 |
Sep 11, 2010 |
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14060458 |
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61241645 |
Sep 11, 2009 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G02B 19/0047 20130101;
G02B 19/0014 20130101; G02B 27/0955 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G02B 27/09 20060101
G02B027/09 |
Claims
1. Using pairs of nesting lenslets (including lenticular lenses) to
provide continuously adjustable beam shaping.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention generally relates to automated
luminaire(s), specifically to a beam shaper for use within
automated luminaire(s).
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Luminaires with automated and remotely controllable
functionality are well known in the entertainment and architectural
lighting markets. Such products are commonly used in theatres,
television studios, concerts, theme parks, night clubs and other
venues. A typical product will commonly provide control over the
pan and tilt functions of the luminaire allowing the operator to
control the direction the luminaire is pointing and thus the
position of the light beam on the stage or in the studio. Typically
this position control is done via control of the luminaire's
position in two orthogonal rotational axes usually referred to as
pan and tilt. Many products provide control over other parameters
such as the intensity, color, focus, beam size, beam shape and beam
pattern. The beam pattern is often provided by a stencil or slide
called a gobo which may be a steel, aluminum or etched glass
pattern. The products manufactured by Robe Show Lighting such as
the ColorSpot 700E are typical of the art.
[0003] The optical systems of such luminaires may include a beam
shaping optical element through which the light is constrained to
pass. A beam shaping element may comprise an asymmetric or
lenticular lens or collection of lenses that constrain a light beam
that is symmetrical and circular in cross section to one that is
asymmetrical and predominantly elliptical or rectangular in cross
section. A prior art automated luminaire may contain a plurality of
such beam shapers each of which may have a greater or lesser effect
on the light beam and that may be overlapped to produce a composite
effect. For example a weak beam shaper may constrain a circular
beam that has a symmetrical beam angle of 20.degree. in all
directions into a primarily elliptical beam that has a major axis
of 30.degree. and a minor axis of 15.degree.. A more powerful beam
shaper may constrain a circular beam that has a symmetrical beam
angle of 20.degree. in all directions into a primarily elliptical
beam that has a major axis of 40.degree. and a minor axis of
10.degree.. It is also common in prior art luminaires to provide
the ability to rotate the beam shaper along the optical axis such
that the resultant symmetrical elliptical beam may also be rotated.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,665,305; U.S. Pat. No. 5,758,955; U.S. Pat. No.
5,980,066 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,048,080 disclose such a system where
a plurality of discrete lens elements is used to control the shape
of a light beam.
[0004] FIG. 1 illustrates a multiparameter automated luminaire
system 10. These systems commonly include a plurality of
multiparameter automated luminaires 12 which typically each contain
on-board a light source (not shown), light modulation devices,
electric motors coupled to mechanical drives systems and control
electronics (not shown). In addition to being connected to mains
power either directly or through a power distribution system (not
shown), each luminaire is connected is series or in parallel to
data link 14 to one or more control desks 15. The luminaire system
10 is typically controlled by an operator through the control desk
15.
[0005] FIG. 2 illustrates a prior art automated luminaire 12. A
lamp 21 contains a light source 22 which emits light. The light is
reflected and controlled by reflector 20 through an aperture or
imaging gate 24 and then through a variable aperture 23 (not
shown). The resultant light beam may be further constrained,
shaped, colored and filtered by optical devices 26 which may
include dichroic color filters, beam shapers, gobos, rotating
gobos, framing shutters, effects glass and other optical devices
well known in the art. The final output beam may be transmitted
through output lenses 28 and 31 which may form a zoom lens
system.
[0006] FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 illustrate the construction and operation
of a prior art example of a beam shaper 30. FIG. 3 illustrates a
beam shaper lens or plate 30 that comprises a disk of optically
transparent material such as glass or polycarbonate that is
embossed or molded with a pattern or array of raised or lowered
linear areas 32 to form an array of ribbed or lenticular lenses.
When the substantially circular light beam passes through this
ribbed or lenticular lens the cross section of that beam will be
constrained to a cross section that is asymmetrical and
predominantly elliptical or rectangular in shape as shown in FIG.
4. Such a system may be rotated around an axis parallel with the
optical axis of the luminaire to rotate the elliptical beam shown
in FIG. 4 however neither the size of the ellipse nor its
eccentricity can be altered by this beam shaper 30. Prior arts
systems may contain multiple such devices with different patterns
such that the size and eccentricity of the effect can be selected
by using the appropriate beam shaper 30. However this selection is
discrete and provides the user no opportunity to continuously over
a range adjust the magnitude of the effect. For example if a
different degree of eccentricity is desired a different beam shaper
30 needs to be inserted into the light beam path. Assuming a
luminaire had two beam shapers 30 that could be substituted for
each other three discrete degrees of eccentricity effect could be
achieved: no beam shaper, beam shaper 1 and beam shaper 2. However,
the user could not vary the degrees of eccentricity between these
two effects. If two beam shapers 30 could simultaneously be placed
in the beam then 4 effects may be achieved: no beam shaper, both
beam shapers simultaneously and assuming the beam shapers were not
the same each would individually have a different degree of
effect.
[0007] There is a need for an improved beam shaper mechanism for
automated luminaire which provides the ability to smoothly and
continuously adjust the size and/or eccentricity of the constrained
light beam over a range of sizes and/or degrees of
eccentricity.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] For a more complete understanding of the present invention
and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following
description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in
which like reference numerals indicate like features and
wherein:
[0009] FIG. 1 illustrates a typical automated lighting system;
[0010] FIG. 2 illustrates a typical automated luminaire;
[0011] FIG. 3 illustrates a prior art beam shaper;
[0012] FIG. 4 illustrates a light beam after modulated by a beam
shaper;
[0013] FIG. 5 illustrates a cross section of an innovative beam
shaper lens pairing;
[0014] FIG. 6A FIG. 6B and FIG. 6C illustrate the beam shaping
modulating effect of the beam shaper illustrated in FIG. 5;
[0015] FIG. 7 illustrates a cross sectional view of an embodiment
of the beam shaper comprised of multiple lenslets;
[0016] FIG. 8 illustrates a view of an embodiment of a beam shaper
of the lenslets of the beam shaper embodiment of FIG. 7 as seen
looking down the light beam axis;
[0017] FIG. 9 illustrates a view along the beam axis of a an
embodiment of multiple lenslet embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 8 in a
wheel/disk array;
[0018] FIG. 10 illustrates a cross sectional view of the embodiment
illustrated in FIG. 9 with the lenslet pairings closely nested;
[0019] FIG. 11 illustrates a cross sectional view of the embodiment
of FIG. 10 with the lenslet pairings separated;
[0020] FIG. 12 illustrates a beam axis view if an alternative
embodiment with differently shaped and configured lenslets;
[0021] FIG. 13 illustrates an embodiment of a luminaire employing
two beam shape pairings;
[0022] FIG. 14 illustrates a view of the embodiment of FIG. 13
showing the lenslet pairings separated;
[0023] FIG. 15 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a beam
shaper where the two beam shaper pairings share a common optical
element;
[0024] FIG. 16 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a beam
shaping luminaire employing and LED array light source; and
[0025] FIG. 17 illustrates an alternative embodiment of an LED
array luminaire beam shaper.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0026] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are
illustrated in the FIGUREs, like numerals being used to refer to
like and corresponding parts of the various drawings.
[0027] The present invention generally relates to an automated
luminaire, specifically to the configuration of a beam shaper
within such a luminaire such that it provides the ability to adjust
the size or eccentricity of the constrained light beam.
[0028] FIG. 5 illustrates a side view cross section of an
embodiment of an innovative beam shaping optical element pairing
40. In this embodiment the pairing 40 is comprised of two optical
elements 44 and 46. Element 44 may comprise a lenslet with at least
one convex surface 45 and light beam view cross section 48. Element
46 may comprise a second lenslet with at least one concave surface
47 and a matching light beam view cross section 48. The convex
surface 45 of element 44 and concave surface 47 of element 46 have
equal and opposite geometries such that the convex surface 45 on
element 44 may substantially nest into the concave surface 47 on
element 46. Elements 44 and 46 may be circular or non-circular in
cross section. Cross section 48 may be an ellipse as illustrated in
FIG. 5. However, elements 44 and 46 may have any cross section 48
including, for example, circular, rectangular, ribbed, elliptical,
lenticular or nearly any other suitable shape.
[0029] FIG. 6A, FIG. 6B and FIG. 6 C together illustrate the
operation of the lenslet pairing 40 of FIG. 5 where the cross
section 48 of lenslets 44 and 46 is non-circular. The first and
second lenslets 44 and 46 may be moved parallel to the optical axis
of the luminaire such that their relative separation along that
axis may be adjusted. The movement of the elements is facilitated
by mechanical articulation means which are not shown. There are
well known methods in the art for articulating such movement of
optical elements in a luminaire. The cross sectional shape 43 of
the light beam entering the beam shaping pairing 40 is illustrated
to the left in each FIG. 6A, FIG. 6B and FIG. 6C. The cross
sectional shape 49 of the output of the light beam from the beam
shaping pairing 40.
[0030] FIG. 6A illustrates the elements 44 and 46 of beam shaper 40
substantially nested so that the convex surface 45 on element 44 is
as close as reasonably possible to the concave surface 47 on
element 46. In this configuration/position the optical effect of
the two curved surfaces is cancelled out and the combination of
elements 44 and 46 has almost no effect on the light beam output
49. In this position the input light beam cross section 43 is
unaffected by elements 44 and 46 and emerges from the system
unchanged as light beam 49.
[0031] FIG. 6B illustrates the elements 44 and 46 of beam shaper 40
in a slightly separated position. In this position the optical
effect of the two curved surfaces 45 and 47 is combined such that a
circular input light beam 43 is constrained to a new non-circular
cross section 49. In the illustrated configuration, the output
light beam is elliptical in cross section with a relatively small
eccentricity and a relatively small increase in beam angle.
[0032] FIG. 6C illustrates the elements 44 and 46 of beam shaper 40
where the greatly separated. In this position the optical effect of
the two curved surfaces is combined such that a circular input
light beam 43 is constrained to a new non-circular cross section
49. In the configuration illustrated the output light beam is
elliptical in cross section 49 with a larger eccentricity and the
output beam is significantly increased in beam angle.
[0033] All though only three positions of elements 44 and 46 of
beam shaper 40 are illustrated in FIG. 6A, FIG. 6B and FIG. 6C. In
practice the separation of elements 44 and 46 along the optical
axis may be adjustable continuously across a range and thus the
size of the output beam may also be adjustable continuously across
a range. This system allows the user to select any degree of beam
shaping desired and is an improvement over prior art systems.
[0034] A special case of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6
occurs when the cross section of elements 44 and 46 is a circle. In
that instance the output beam 45 will be unchanged in cross section
from the input beam 43 and the system will alter the beam angle
(size) of the output only.
[0035] FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 illustrates another embodiment of an
innovative beam shaper. FIG. 7 illustrates a cross sectional view
of the beam shaper 50 comprised of optical element 52 comprises an
array of lenslets 54 each with at least one convex surface 53.
Optical element 55 may comprise a second array of glass lenslets 56
each with at least one concave surface 57. The convex surfaces 53
of the array of lenslets 54 on element 52 and the concave surfaces
57 of the array of lenslets 56 on element 55 have equal and
opposite geometries such that the convex surfaces 53 on element 52
will substantially nest into the concave surfaces 57 on element 55.
Lenslets 54 and 56 forming matching arrays on elements 52 and 55
may each be circular or non-circular in cross section.
[0036] The cross section may be an ellipse as illustrated in FIG.
8; however, in alternative embodiments the lenslets 54 and 56
forming arrays 54 and 56 may have any cross section including, for
example, circular, rectangular, ribbed, elliptical, lenticular or
any other shape. The only constraint on the design of such lenslets
is that they should be capable of being designed as a matching
convex/concave pair that can substantially nest one within the
other. FIG. 8 illustrates the cross section view along the light
beam axis of a portion of optical elements 52 and 55 showing an
embodiment of an array structure with elliptical shaped lenslets
64.
[0037] In order to obtain the desired continuous beam modulating
effects the optical elements 52 and/or 55 are articulated relative
to each other in dimensional 58 so that the relative distance
between the elements 52 and 55 changes in dimension 58.
Additionally in order to modulate the angular orientation of the
resultant modulating effect, the pair or elements 52 and 55 are
articulated together in a rotational manner in the illustrated
direction(s) 59 so that the angular orientation of the lenslets
shape 51 are changed in the illustrated direction(s) 59 The
mechanisms for achieving these articulation(s) are not shown in the
figures but are well known in the art.
[0038] In an alternative embodiment (not shown) the rotational
effect of the modulated eccentricity effect may be achieved by
changing the orientation of the lenslets in a linear direction so
that the light beam only passes through a portion of the lens array
and the angular orientation of the effect changes as the array is
shifted so that the light beam passes through lenslets with a
different orientation.
[0039] FIG. 9, FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 illustrate a cross sectional
view along the light beam axis of an alternative embodiment of a
beam shaper 60 where arrays of nesting lenslets 65 are configured
on circular discs 62 & 64 sharing a central axis 63 and
combined in a single assembly 60. The assembly comprising optical
elements 62 and 64 may be rotated 69 about that shared central axis
63 such that the orientation of the modulated effect in the output
beam (not shown) may also be rotated. Although circular discs 62
and 64 are illustrated herein the invention is not so limited and
any shape of arrays of nesting lenslets may be used without
departing from the spirit of the invention.
[0040] Though not shown the mechanisms for articulation of the
discs is not shown but are well known in the art. In some
embodiments the optical beam may only pass through a portion of the
disc 61. In such case it is only necessary to rotate the disc 90
degrees in order to obtain an appearance of full rotation of the
eccentric beam shape modulation effect. For this embodiment it may
be possible to drive the rotation of the disk from a central axis.
In other embodiments the beam may pass through the entire array in
which case it would be necessary to be able to rotate the discs 180
degrees to get the appearance of full rotation of the eccentric
beam shape modulation effect. In this case it may be desirable to
drive this rotation from the rim of the disks rather than the
center of the disk.
[0041] FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 illustrate the cross section of a
further embodiment of the invention where two optical elements 62
and/or 64 comprising arrays of nesting lenslets 66 and 70 may be
moved parallel to/along the optical axis of the luminaire such that
their separation varies along that axis in dimensional direction
68. FIG. 10 shows the optical elements 62 and 64 with minimal
separation in dimensional direction 68 such that the convex
surfaces 72 on the lenslets 70 on element 64 are as close as
reasonably possible to the concave 67 surfaces on the lenslets 66
on element 62. In this optical effect of the arrays of curved
surfaces is cancelled out and the combination of elements 64 and 62
has almost no effect on the light beam.
[0042] FIG. 11 shows the optical elements 62 and 64 with increased
separation 68 such that the convex surfaces 72 on the lenslets 70
on element 64 are separated from the concave surfaces 67 on the
lenslets 66 on element 62. In this position the optical effect of
the two curved surfaces is combined such that a circular input
light beam is constrained to a new cross section with increased
beam shaping.
[0043] A single pair of optical elements with nesting lenslets has
been illustrated here however the invention is not so limited and
further embodiments may utilize a plurality of pairs of optical
elements each with nesting lenslets. Each pair of optical elements
may provide a differing amount and rotational angle of beam
shaping. Such pairs of elements may be situated in series in the
automated luminaire such that the light beam passes through all
such pairs of optical element and has a final beam shape defined by
the combined effect of each pair.
[0044] FIG. 12 illustrates a view of a further embodiment of a beam
shaper 71 where two optical elements 74 and 76 comprising arrays of
nesting lenslets 78 configured as ribbed or lenticular lenses may
be constructed as circular discs sharing a central axis 79 and
combined in a single assembly 71. The assembly comprising optical
elements 74 and 76 may be rotated 69 about that shared central axis
such that the output beam may also be rotated. Although circular
discs are illustrated the invention is not so limited and any shape
of arrays of nesting lenslets may be used without departing from
the spirit of the invention.
[0045] FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 illustrate a further embodiment of a
beam shaper luminaire where light source 22 projects a beam through
a series of beam shapers: first beam shaping pair 60 of two optical
elements 62 and 64 comprising arrays of nesting lenslets 66 and 70
configured as ribbed or lenticular lenses and a second beam shaping
pair 90 of two optical elements 92 and 94 comprising arrays of
nesting lenslets 96 and 98 configured as ribbed or lenticular
lenses. The first and second beam shaping pairs 60 and 90 of
optical elements 62, 64 and 92, 94 may be constructed as circular
discs each sharing a central axis and combined in a single
assembly. The assembly comprising optical elements 60 and 62 may be
rotated 69 about that shared central axis 63 such that the output
beam (not shown) may also be rotated. Further each pair of optical
elements 62, 64 and 92, 94 comprising arrays of nesting lenslets 66
& 70 and 96 & 98 may be moved parallel to the optical axis
63 of the luminaire such that their separation may be independently
varied along that axis.
[0046] FIG. 13 shows the optical elements with minimal separation
68 and 78 such that the convex surfaces 71 on the lenslets 70 on
element 60 are as close as reasonably possible to the concave
surfaces 97 on the lenslets 96 on element 62 and the lenslets 96 on
element 92 are as close as reasonably possible to the concave
surfaces 99 on the lenslets 98 on element 94. In these positions
the optical effects of the arrays of curved surfaces is cancelled
out and the combination of elements 62, 64 and 92, 94 has almost no
effect on the light beam.
[0047] FIG. 14 shows the optical elements with increased separation
68 and 78 such that the convex surfaces 71 on the lenslets 70 on
element 64 are separated from the concave surfaces 67 on the
lenslets 66 on element 62 and the lenslets 96 on element 90 are
independently separated from the concave surfaces 97 on the
lenslets 99 on element 94f. In these positions the optical effect
of the two arrays of curved surfaces is combined such that a
circular input light beam is constrained to a new cross section
with increased beam shaping from the combination of elements 62
& 64 and 72& 74. In a further embodiment at least one pair
of optical elements 62, 64 and 72, 74 may have a circular cross
section as previously described such that the effect produced by
that pair of optical elements is limited to beam size and there is
no effect on the shape of the output beam. Further, the assemblies
comprising optical elements 62, 64 and 72, 74 may be separately
rotated about a central axis such that the output beam may also be
rotated.
[0048] In the case of lenslets with circular cross sections
rotation of the array will provide no meaningful effect. In some
embodiments the last element 74 in the optical train is fixed. This
is beneficial for a luminaire because this element can then serve
as part of the luminaires housing protecting the inner workings of
the luminaire. However, it is not crucial as to which elements are
actuated and which are fixed. It is important that the relative
distance between elements within a pair can be varied and that
their rotation can be coordinated so that the concave and convex
lenslets can remain aligned during rotation of the array. Although
circular discs are illustrated the invention is not so limited and
any shape of arrays of nesting lenslets may be used without
departing from the spirit of the invention.
[0049] FIG. 15 illustrates a cross sectional view of an alternative
embodiment of a beam shaper 100. This beam shaper has three
elements 102, 104 and 106 which each have arrays of lenslets. In
this embodiment the first element 102 has an array of convex shaped
lenslets 108 with convex surfaces 109 which face and nest with
concave surfaces 111 on convex lenslets 110 on element 104. The
other side of element 104 has an array of convex lenslets 112 with
convex surfaces 113 which face and nest with convex surfaces 115 on
lenslets 114 on element 106.
[0050] FIG. 16 illustrates a cross sectional view of yet another
embodiment 200 of a beam shaper. In this case the light source is
an array 202 of light emitting diode (LED) sources 204. In the
embodiment shown there are two beam shaping element pairs 206 and
208. The pairings of elements 210 and 212 for pairing 106 and 214
and 216 for pairing 208 are similar to the previously described
nesting lenslet pairings. They may be rotated about a central axis
by an axle or may be driven to rotate from the outer edges. In some
embodiments the pairings 206 and 208 may be rotated as a unit with
the LED array 202 in order to obtain change in the angular
orientation of the eccentric modulated effect. These arrays may be
circular, square, rectangular or any other shape.
[0051] FIG. 17 illustrates an alternative embodiment 220 of a beam
shaper employing an LED array light source 202. In this embodiment
the convex surfaces 205 of the individual LEDs 204 is employed to
serve as a lenslet array that nest with an optical element 222 with
an array of convex lenslets 222 with convex surfaces 223.
[0052] Although the invention has been primarily described and
illustrated with lenslets that are essentially elliptical in cross
section the invention is not so limited and any cross section
including, for example, circular, rectangular, ribbed, elliptical,
lenticular or any other shape may be used without departing from
the spirit of the invention.
[0053] In a yet further embodiment a plurality of pairs of optical
elements each with nesting lenslets is utilized where at least one
of the plurality of optical elements with nesting lenslets may have
lenslets with an elliptical cross section where the eccentricity of
the ellipses is unity such that the lenslets are circular in cross
section and provides a beam angle control only with no change in
beam shape.
[0054] It should be appreciated that in any cases where
articulation of elements is called for herein but not shown, it is
well within the known art to provide a variety of mechanisms that
can achieve these necessary articulations.
[0055] While the disclosure has been described with respect to a
limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having
benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments
may be devised which do not depart from the scope of the disclosure
as disclosed herein. The disclosure has been described in detail,
it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and
alterations can be made hereto without departing from the spirit
and scope of the disclosure.
* * * * *