David Stephen Lamb

US Patent:

6576887, Jun 10, 2003

Filed:

Aug 15, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/930371

Inventors:

Leland R. Whitney - St. Paul MN
Gary T. Boyd - Woodbury MN
Keith M. Kotchick - St. Paul MN
Kenneth A. Epstein - St. Paul MN
Sanford Cobb, Jr. - Lakeland MN
Philip E Watson - Oakdale MN
David J. Lamb - Oakdale MN
Mark E. Gardiner - Santa Rosa CA

Assignee:

3M Innovative Properties Company - St. Paul MN

International Classification:

G01J 104

US Classification:

25022711, 385133, 385147, 385901

Abstract:

A light guide including a light guide body having a light re-directing side positioned opposite from a light output side. A plurality of elongate prisms are located adjacent the light output side of the light guide body. The prisms extend side-by-side relative to one another along lengths. The prisms include upper edges defining heights of the prisms. The upper edges extend along the lengths of the prisms. Each upper edge includes a plurality of edge segments having different magnitudes of slope. The light guide also includes a plurality of light extraction structures located adjacent the light re-directing side of the light guide body for reflecting light toward the light output side. The light extraction structures include elongated projections each having a plateau segment and first and second facets. The elongated projections are separated by lands that are recessed relative to the plateau segments. The first and second facets extend from the plateau segments to the lands.

US Patent:

7010212, Mar 7, 2006

Filed:

May 28, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/156674

Inventors:

Robert M. Emmons - St. Paul MN, US
David J. Lamb - Oakdale MN, US
Yaoqi J. Liu - Maplewood MN, US
Ying-Yuh Lu - Woodbury MN, US
Larry A. Meixner - Woodbury MN, US
Robert S. Moshrefzadeh - Oakdale MN, US
Richard J. Pokorny - Maplewood MN, US
Steven J. Rhyner - North St. Paul MN, US
Philip E. Watson - Oakdale MN, US
Leland R. Whitney - St. Paul MN, US
Jie Yang - Woodbury MN, US

Assignee:

3M Innovative Properties Company - St. Paul MN

International Classification:

G02B 6/10

US Classification:

385146, 385901, 362602

Abstract:

An integrated optical assembly including a light management component with an entry surface and a light delivery component having an exit surface attached to the entry surface of the light management component is disclosed The light management component and the light delivery component are attached together in a manner that defines voids between the entry surface of the light management component and the exit surface of the light delivery component. The voids between the light management component and the light delivery component may provide an air interface over substantial portions of the entry surface of the light management component.

US Patent:

7095943, Aug 22, 2006

Filed:

Dec 8, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/297607

Inventors:

Robert M. Emmons - St. Paul MN, US
David J. Lamb - Oakdale MN, US
Yaoqi J. Liu - Maplewood MN, US
Ying-Yuh Lu - Woodbury MN, US
Larry A. Meixner - Woodbury MN, US
Robert S. Moshrefzadeh - Oakdale MN, US
Richard J. Pokorny - Maplewood MN, US
Steven J. Rhyner - St. Paul MN, US
Philip E. Watson - Oakdale MN, US
Leland R. Whitney - St. Paul MN, US
Jie Yang - Woodbury MN, US

Assignee:

3M Innovative Properties Company - St. Paul MN

International Classification:

G02B 6/10

US Classification:

385146, 385901, 362602

Abstract:

An integrated optical assembly including a light management component with an entry surface and a light delivery component having an exit surface attached to the entry surface of the light management component is disclosed The light management component and the light delivery component are attached together in a manner that defines voids between the entry surface of the light management component and the exit surface of the light delivery component. The voids between the light management component and the light delivery component may provide an air interface over substantial portions of the entry surface of the light management component.

US Patent:

7303322, Dec 4, 2007

Filed:

Dec 23, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/744569

Inventors:

David J. Lamb - Oakdale MN, US
Keith M. Kotchick - Saint Paul MN, US
Mark E. Gardiner - Santa Rosa CA, US
Kenneth A. Epstein - Saint Paul MN, US

Assignee:

3M Innovative Properties Company - Saint Paul MN

International Classification:

F21V 7/04

US Classification:

362600, 362 26, 362 27, 362 19, 362330

Abstract:

The present disclosure is directed to backlighting systems, which include first and second lightguides, at least one light source optically connected to an edge of the first lightguide and at least one light source optically connected to an edge of the second lightguide for supplying light into their respective interiors. In the appropriate exemplary embodiments, the backlighting systems of the present disclosure include an extractor disposed at a surface of the second lightguide for diffuse extraction of light from the interior of the second lightguide. In such exemplary embodiments, at least a portion of the light supplied into the interior of the second lightguide and then diffusely extracted therefrom enters the interior of the first lightguide through a substantially optically clear surface. In some exemplary embodiments, the backlighting systems of the present disclosure include recycling enhancement structures, which may be attached to the first lightguide.

US Patent:

20050135117, Jun 23, 2005

Filed:

Dec 23, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/744661

Inventors:

David Lamb - Oakdale MN, US
Keith Kotchick - Saint Paul MN, US
Mark Gardiner - Santa Rosa CA, US
Mark O'Neill - Stillwater MN, US
Patrick Marushin - Saint Paul MN, US
Kenneth Epstein - Saint Paul MN, US
Philip Watson - Saint Paul MN, US

International Classification:

F21V007/00

US Classification:

362615000

Abstract:

Backlighting systems are disclosed, which include a lightguide with at least one light source optically connected to an edge of the lightguide for supplying light into its interior and a reflective cavity with at least one light source optically connected to the reflective cavity for supplying light into its interior. The reflective cavity may include a first reflector and a second reflector and at least one source may be disposed at an edge of the reflective cavity. Alternatively, the reflective cavity may include a back reflector portion and light sources may be disposed at the back reflector portion.

US Patent:

20110051047, Mar 3, 2011

Filed:

Feb 6, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/866094

Inventors:

Mark B. O'Neill - Stillwater MN, US
Shandon D. Hart - Corning NY, US
Kenneth A. Epstein - St. Paul MN, US
David G. Freier - St. Paul MN, US
David J. Lamb - Oakdale MN, US

International Classification:

G02F 1/13357
F21V 7/22
F21V 9/14

US Classification:

349 67, 362609, 362 19

Abstract:

A backlight () that includes a front reflector () and a back reflector () that form a hollow light recycling cavity () having an output surface () is disclosed. The front reflector includes at least four directional recycling films (). The backlight also includes a semi-specular diffuser disposed between the front reflector and the back reflector, and one or more light sources () disposed to emit light into the light recycling cavity.

US Patent:

20110261584, Oct 27, 2011

Filed:

Jun 20, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/664855

Inventors:

Gary T. Boyd - Woodbury MN, US
Ji-Young Choi - Gyeonggi-Do, KR
John T. Cowher - Austin TX, US
Yasuyuki Daigo - Tokyo, JP
Kenneth A. Epstein - St. Paul MN, US
Shandon D. Hart - Corning NY, US
Charles D. Hoyle - Stillwater MN, US
Min-Young Ji - Suwon-city, KR
Chideuk kim - Gyunggi-Do, KR
Byung-Soo Ko - Seoul, KR
Keith M. Kotchick - St. Paul MN, US
Wade D. Kretman - Afton MN, US
David J. Lamb - Oakdale MN, US
Seo-Hern Lee - Kyonggi-Do, KR
Eric W. Nelson - Stillwater MN, US
Youngsoo Park - Kyonggi-Do, KR
Xianneng Peng - Shanghai, CN
Yuji Saito - Sagamihara, JP
Naoya Taniguchi - Sagamihara, JP
John F. Van Derlofske, III - Minneapolis MN, US
Leland R. Whitney - St. Paul MN, US
Kingpeng Yang - Shanghai, CN
Yang Yu - Suzhou, CN
Jie Zhou - Shanghai, CN
Rui Zhang - Shanghai, CN

International Classification:

G02F 1/1335
F21V 7/22

US Classification:

362607, 295921

Abstract:

A backlight includes a light source and one or more light recycling films. The light source generates light that exits the light source with an angular exit distribution. The light recycling films are oriented in relation to the light source so that the prism peaks of the recycling films are oriented away from the light source. The recycling films have a range of optimal incident angles that allow light to pass through the recycling films without recycling. The components of the light source, the characteristics of the recycling films, or both, are configured to control the overlap between the exit distribution of the light source and the optimal incident angle range of the recycling films.

US Patent:

20200142104, May 7, 2020

Filed:

Jul 10, 2018

Appl. No.:

16/611644

Inventors:

- St. Paul MN, US
Kristopher J. Derks - Woodbury MN, US
Tri D. Pham - Woodbury MN, US
Kenneth A. Epstein - St. Paul MN, US
David J. Lamb - Oakdale MN, US

International Classification:

G02B 5/02
F21V 8/00

Abstract:

An optical film includes a microstructured surface having a plurality of irregularly arranged planar portions forming greater than about 10% of the microstructured surface. The microstructured surface may be configured such that, when the microstructured surface is placed on an emission surface of a lightguide with a first luminous distribution of light exiting the lightguide from the emission surface in a first plane perpendicular to the emission surface, the light emitted by the lightguide is transmitted by the microstructured surface at a second luminous distribution of the transmitted light in the first plane. The first luminous distribution includes a first peak making a first angle greater than about 60 degrees with a normal to the microstructured surface. The second luminous distribution includes a second peak making a second angle in a range from about 5 degrees to about 35 degrees with the normal to the microstructured surface.