Light duct tee splitter

摘要

The disclosure generally relates to highly efficient light duct light splitters that are capable of splitting the light propagating within a light duct into two different ducts, with nearly 100 percent efficiency. In particular, the described light splitters are configured in a “Tee” shape with a reflective splitter element.

主权项

1. A light duct splitter, comprising: a first light conduit defining a light transport cavity capable of transporting light along a first propagation direction; a second light conduit defining a first light diversion cavity; a third light conduit defining a second light diversion cavity, the second and the third light conduit intersecting the first light conduit such that the light transport cavity and the first and the second light diversion cavities are contiguous; a light diverter, comprising: a first reflector disposed at a first diverter angle to the first propagation direction, the first reflector including a first edge and a second edge; and a second reflector disposed at a second diverter angle to the first propagation direction, the second reflector including a first edge and a second edge, the first reflector and the second reflector further disposed such that the first edge of the first reflector and the first edge of the second reflector intersect at an angle equal to the sum of the first diverter angle and the second diverter angle; wherein a first light ray propagating within a collimation angle of the first propagation direction that intersects the first reflector is diverted to a second light ray propagating within the collimation angle of a second propagation direction in the second light conduit, and wherein a third light ray propagating within the collimation angle of the first propagation direction that intersects the second reflector is diverted to a fourth light ray propagating within the collimation angle of a third propagation direction in the third light conduit, and wherein the first edge of the first reflector and the first edge of the second reflector intersect within a boxed region defined by an output cross section of the first light conduit, a first input cross section of the second light conduit, and a second input cross section of the third light conduit, and wherein at least one of the first and second input cross sections of the second light conduit and the third light conduit is smaller than the output cross section of the first light conduit.