WO1998039675A1

WO1998039675A1 - Reflector and illumination system

Info

Publication number: WO1998039675A1
Application number: PCT/US1998/003527
Authority: WO
Inventors: Andrew P. Riser; David H. Liu; Kyle P. Lucas; Nguyen V. To
Original assignee: Remote Source Lighting International, Inc.
Priority date: 1997-03-04
Filing date: 1998-02-24
Publication date: 1998-09-11
Also published as: AU6182598A

Abstract

A compact light guide illumination system is disclosed. Light from an illumination source is reflected by dual reflector (77) into a hot mirror (74). The hot mirror (74) is adapted to deflect the ultra-violet and/or infrared radiation components of the incident light away from the hot mirror, while allowing passage of the other visible components of the incident light through the hot mirror. A fan and air deflector assembly circulates air over the hot mirror and over other optical components, such as the homogenizer lens assembly (85), to thereby provide efficient heat management and dissipation capability to the light guide illumination system.

Description

REFLECTOR AND ILLUMINATION SYSTEM

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Large diameter fiber optics, often referred to as "flexible light guides", are well known in the art, and typically comprise a single, solid core light guide which is surrounded by a cladding layer and a sheath or shielding layer. The core is the portion of a light guide which transmits light, and typically has a diameter of about 2 to 12 mm. It is formed of a very soft, semi-liquid plastic material, such as OPTIFLEX®, which is manufactured by Rohm & Haas Corporation, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The cladding layer typically comprises polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE or TEFLON®) , or the like, while the outer sheath is fabricated of a material such as polyvinylchloride (PVC) . Unlike small diameter optical light guides, which are typically used to transmit information in relatively complex control systems, these large diameter "light guides" are typically employed in a variety of illumination systems where direct lighting is difficult to maintain, dangerous, or subject to vandalism. Examples include architectural lighting, display cases, pools and spas (to eliminate electrical connections near water) , hazardous material zones (to eliminate the need for sealed lighting), or jail cells. They are particularly advantageous in that only a single centralized illumination system must be maintained, rather than a plurality of individual lights .

One disadvantage of these prior art systems, however, is their use of an illumination reflector to transmit light between the source of illumination and the output optical light guide. These conventional illumination reflectors are based upon classic conic sections; i.e. elliptical or parabolic reflectors. Such reflectors are best for "ideal" light sources; i.e. "point" sources, but for "real world" light sources, light transmission efficiency is reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention is an improvement over the prior art described above, because it employs, among other things a hot mirror, a fan and air deflector assembly, and a compact homogenizer lens assembly. Light from an illumination source is reflected by a dual reflector into a hot mirror. The hot mirror is adapted to deflect the ultra-violet (UV) and/or infrared (IR) radiation components of the incident light away from the hot mirror, while allowing passage of the other visible components of the incident light through the hot mirror. A fan and air deflector assembly circulates air over the hot mirror and over other optical components, such as the homogenizer lens assembly, to thereby provide efficient heat management and dissipation capabilities to the light guide illumination system.

The homogenizer lens assembly 85 adds a relatively compact configuration to the light guide illumination system. Prior art mixing rods, for example, require the output light guides to be disposed at a greater distance from the light source. While such placement provides greater cooling of the optical elements, as a result of the greater distance between the light source and the optical elements, a larger housing for the light source portion 60 is required. The inventive compact nature of the optical assembly, which associates the light source 12 into relatively close proximity with the other optical components in order to save space, for example, is addressed by the present invention with efficient heat management and dissipation capabilities, for example, stemming from incorporation of the fan 82, air deflector 95, and hot mirror 74.

In one aspect of the present invention, an illumination reflector which is customized to maximize the efficiency of light transmission between the illumination source, such as an arc lamp, and the core of one or more output light guides. A method of fabricating the customized illumination reflector includes mapping the radiation patterns of the particular illumination source to be utilized, creating a database of those radiation patterns, and utilizing the database to generate an optimal illumination reflector configuration. The computer- generated reflector will virtually always be a non- conic section, because the illumination source is not ideal .

More particularly, an optical light guide illumination system for coupling light from an illumination source to a number of output optical light guides is disclosed. Each output optical light guide has a proximal end for receiving the light, and the illumination system includes an illumination reflector for receiving illumination from the illumination source and redirecting the illumination to the proximal end of each output optical light guide. The illumination reflector is particularly designed to complement the illumination source with which it is paired, and therefore has a computer- generated non-circular cross-section and is both non- elliptical and non-parabolic.

In another aspect of the invention, a method of fabricating an illumination reflector for an illumination system is disclosed. Steps in the method include mapping the radiation patterns of the illumination source, and creating a database of these radiation patterns. Then, the database is used to generate an illumination reflector configuration which provides an optimal distribution and intensity of illumination at a proximal end of each output optical light guide.

The illumination system of the present invention uses, in one preferred embodiment, either a 175 Watt halogen bulb or a 200 Watt halogen bulb. In another preferred embodiment, a double-ended 150 Watt lamp is employed. Additionally, a homogenizer lens assembly is used in place of a mixing rod. Also, light from the illumination reflector may be passed through a color wheel, before being directed into the output optical light guide or light guides. The color wheel is preferably a DMX addressable color changer for control of multiple colors from a remote source.

The present invention, together with additional features and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

Brief Description of the Figures

Figure 1 is a schematic top view of the present invention, illustrating an illumination source and an illumination reflector having a computer-generated curvature;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 2-2 of Figure 1, particularly illustrating the illumination reflector fabricated in accordance with the principles of the present invention; Figures 3-6 are various views of the light source portion, with the cover removed, of the illumination system of the present invention;

Figures 7a-7c are various views of the light source of the present invention; Figures 8a-8e are various views of the segmented lens of the presently preferred embodiment;

Figures 9a-9f are various views of the light source portion of the illumination system of the present invention; Figure 10 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the illumination source and reflector portion of the present invention, wherein a double- ended lamp is employed as the illumination source;

Figure 11 is a side view of the embodiment illustrated in Figure 10; Figure 12 is a schematic view of the double-ended lamp employed in the embodiment illustrated in Figures 10 and 11; and

Figures 13-16 are various views of the light source portion, with the cover removed, of the illumination system of one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a source of illumination 12, comprising any conventional light source, such as an arc lamp or the like, and an illumination reflector 14, which reflects the light from the lamp to another optical component (not shown) . The light source portion 60 of the present invention can be connected to a delivery portion (not shown) which may include output light guides (not shown) . The light source 60 may comprise a cylindrical housing or may comprise a rectangular housing, such as shown in Figures 9a-9f, for example. The illumination system may be used for a variety of purposes, such as illuminating pools, spas, hazardous material zones, jail cells, and other applications where direct lighting is dangerous, difficult to maintain, or subject to vandalism.

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate perspective views of the light source portion 60 of the illumination system of the presently preferred embodiment. Figure 3 illustrates a right-side perspective view of the light source portion 60 of the present invention, and Figure 4 illustrates a left-side perspective view of the light source portion 60 of the present invention. Any suitable conventional bulb 73 (Figures 7a-7c) can be used with a corresponding socket mount 75. The illuminating portion of the bulb 73 is surrounded by the illumination reflector 77 of the present invention. The illumination reflector 77 of the present invention directs light from the bulb 73 through a hot mirror 74. Ultra-violet (UV) and/or infrared (IR) radiation blocking coatings are preferably disposed on the surface of the hot mirror 74. Alternatively, ultra-violet (UV) and/or infrared (IR) radiation blocking coatings may be placed on other optical components instead of, or in addition to, use of the hot mirror 74. The hot mirror 74 may be placed at any stage between the light source and the output light guides and, further, may be placed at perpendicular or off-axis orientations. Light may then optionally be directed through one or more color wheels (not shown) . Such a color wheel could comprise a DMX addressable color changer for control of multiple colors from one source. This color changer could be controlled by a touch panel, and comprises a single wheel with eight dichroic color filters. According to one alternative embodiment, the color changer further would comprise a DMX dimming capability. A motor (not shown) would drive the color wheel.

In the illustrated embodiment of Figures 3-6, light passing through the hot mirror 74 next enters the homogenizer lens assembly 85 (Figure 4). The homogenizer lens assembly 85 provides a compact means of homogenizing light from the light source 12.

A light guide bundle locator bracket 81 operates to locate a bundle of output light guides within the light exiting from the homogenizer lens assembly 85. An exterior light guide bundle locator 83 (Figures 4 and 5) also serves to locate and align the light guide bundle at the exit of the assembly. Although light guide bundles are used in the presently preferred embodiment, at the expense of efficiency, other embodiments are also possible. A segmented lens 87 (Figures 8a-8e) , comprising six segments, for example, may be used to focus light from the homogenizer lens assembly 85 into one or more output light guides. In the alternative embodiment, the light next passes through the segmented lens 87 before being directed into the plurality of output light guides (not shown) . In the alternative embodiment, a convex lens may further be disposed between the homogenizer lens assembly 85 and the segmented lens 87.

Figures 8a-8e illustrate various views of the segmented lens 87. The segmented lens 87 may comprise six segments. Each segment of the segmented lens 87 is adapted for passing light into a corresponding or light guide. Figure 8a is a front elevational view of the segmented lens 87; Figure 8b is a rear-view of the segmented lens 87; and Figure 8c is a side-elevational view of the segmented lens 87. Figures 8d and 8e are cross-sectional views of the segmented lens 87. The segmented lens 87 is adapted for being secured to the output end 89 (Figure 4) of the housing 91. Alternatively, different numbers of segments may be configured, or only a single lens may be used instead of the segmented lens 87.

The exterior light guide bundle locator 83 preferably comprises a nut 83. The nut 83 can be used to secure the light guides to the housing 91 of the light source portion 60. The nut 83 is secured to the output end 89 of the housing 91. In one alternative embodiment, the nut can be used to sandwich a flange portion of the segmented lens 87 to the output end 89 of the housing 91. The distal end of the light source portion 60, located opposite the light guides, comprises a power cord connector and an on/off switch.

Figure 5 shows that a side of the housing comprises a fan assembly 97 and a transformer 99. The fan assembly 93 comprises a cooling fan 82, which directs air onto an air deflector 95. The air deflector 95 is orientated to direct cooling air from the fan cooling 82 onto the optical components of the assembly. Light from the illumination source 12 is reflected by the reflector 77 into the hot mirror 74. The hot mirror 74 deflects the ultra-violet and/or infrared radiation components of the incident light away from the hot mirror 74, while allowing passage of other visible components of the incident light through the hot mirror 74. The fan 82 and air deflector 95 circulate air over the hot mirror 74 and over other optical components, such as the homogenizer lens assembly 85, to thereby provide efficient heat management and dissipation capabilities to the light guide illumination system.

The homogenizer lens assembly 85 adds a relatively compact configuration to the light guide illumination system. Prior art mixing rods, for example, require the output light guides to be disposed at a greater distance from the light source. While such placement provides greater cooling of the optical elements, as a result of the greater distance between the light source and the optical elements, a larger housing for the light source portion 60 is required. The inventive compact nature of the optical assembly, which associates the light source 12 into relatively close proximity with the other optical components in order to save space, for example, is addressed by the present invention with efficient heat management and dissipation capabilities, for example, stemming from incorporation of the fan 82, air deflector 95, and hot mirror 74. Figures 9a-9d illustrate various views of the housing 91, with the top cover removed. Figures 9a-9d generally correspond to Figures 3-6.

An important aspect of the present invention, which can improve the efficiency of the inventive system, is the use of non-classical, non-conic sections in the design of the illumination reflector 14. In the prior art, in contrast, classical conic sections are typically used in illumination reflector design, to create elliptical or parabolic reflectors. By way of background, classical conic sections are so- named because they can be generated (and perhaps more importantly, visualized) by imagining the plane that would be exposed by slicing through a circular section cone. For example, if such a cone is sliced through with a cut that is exactly perpendicular to the long axis of the cone, the resulting exposed plane is a circle. This is the simplest example of a conic section. Like the other conic sections, the circle can be described algebraically, in this case by the expression:

(x² + y²)^{1 2} = r (1)

wherein r is the radius of the circle, x is the x- coordinate value of the radius, and y is the y- coordinate value of the radius. In other words, the radius magnitude of the circle is always equal to the square root of the sum of the squares of its x-y coordinate values. The properties which this confers on the circle are that it has a single focal point equidistant from the focus of its circumference points, and that focus is in the center. This characteristic can be quite useful in optics.

If the slicing plane of the theoretical cone were to be tilted away from the perpendicular to the axis, other classical conic shapes are generated, not much more complex in mathematical description than the circle, but with ever more intriguing properties. From the standpoint of the history of optical design, two of the most important are the ellipse and the parabola .

The ellipse is a closed oval, and can be imagined by looking at the shape the edge of a circular coin makes as it is progressively tilted with respect to the observer's line of sight. The ellipse has the properties of having two focal points, or foci, both located along the line bisecting the ellipse's long axis (the circle is actually a special case of the ellipse, where the two foci are superimposed on one another, occupying the same point in space) . The optical properties of an ellipse are such that any rays of light originating from exactly the point of focus on one side of the ellipse will be brought exactly to convergence at the complementary focus location, irrespective of their direction of origin. Unlike the ellipse, the parabola comprises an open-figure shape. It is generated by slicing the cone along a line parallel to its long axis, all the way down to its base. The resulting shape has a vertex at the small end and an open mouth opposite. The parabola has but a single focus. Its optical properties are such that a ray of light leaving the exact point of focus and bouncing off the surface of a parabolic reflector will exit the open mouth going exactly parallel to the long axis of the parabola, no matter where the ray strikes the reflector.

Flashlight reflectors are often parabolic; by collimating the light (i.e. making all the rays travel parallel paths), the flashlight beam can be directed where it is needed and deliver the most light to the area of interest, instead of illuminating a large area dimly, as a non-directed bulb would do.

As a collector of light, the parabola has the ability to take collimated light directed toward it and concentrate that light at the focus point. This makes parabolic shapes useful for solar energy collectors .

The inventors have discovered, however, that the problem with using classical elliptical and parabolic reflectors, as contemplated in the prior art, is that, while the above analysis is done based upon ideal assumptions; i.e. that the light source occupies a "point" in space in the purest mathematical sense, in that it is dimensionless . If a light source used to illuminate an elliptical or parabolic reflector could occupy a dimensional space of zero, the easily- described, well-behaved "ideal" properties of these shapes would be realized. However such a light source is impossible in the physical world; a light source of zero dimension would, by definition, be infinitely bright. In the physical world, a light source is a very real, three dimensional object, whether it is the tungsten filament of an incandescent lamp, the arc of an arc lamp, or the glowing surface of a fluorescent lamp. Compared to the theoretically ideal "point source", all of these emitters of light are not only large, but generally of complex, and sometimes bizarre, shape. What this means is that an "ideal" conic or parabolic reflector using a "real" light source not only does not conform to its theoretically predicted performance, but often diverges from the expected behavior. In the prior art, this discrepancy between the theoretical and the realized behavior of conic- shape-based reflectors is just a tough fact of life. No good analytical tools have existed to help understand it, and no design tools existed to help overcome it . The inventive new non-traditional approach utilizes non-conic sections. The designer is freed from the artifice of employing classical, easily- described shapes whose real-world performance may be fatally compromised, and given the freedom to use non- classical shapes, difficult to describe mathematically but amenable to analysis by the considerable number- crunching power of modern personal computers. Thus, the inventive method of fabricating the reflector 14 shown in Figures 1 and 2 begins with the mapping of the complex radiation patters of the real lamp 12 to be utilized in the particular apparatus. In a customized application, the lamp actually used in each individual device might actually be individually mapped. However, more typically, a particular manufacturer's lamp, designed by model number, is mapped, and the vagaries between individual lamps of a particular model or type of lamp, typically quite small, are ignored for the sake of manufacturing practicality and reasonable cost.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 7, either a 175 Watt halogen bulb or a 200 Watt halogen bulb 73 may be used. Other lamps may be used as well, including double-ended lamps, as illustrated in Figures 10-12, as long as the model or product number of the specific lamp is noted for easy future reference. Also, a 60 Watt eatal halide lamp may be used, such as that described below with reference to Figures 13-16.

Mapping in this sense, means to generate a collection of spatial intensity distribution measurements at a constant radial distance from the lamp, and storing the data in a computer storage location. This is done by moving a calibrated imaging detector array around the source in spherical coordinates until a detailed data file is obtained, point-by-point, of the lamp's specific radiation patterns. This detailed file does not really care about the relative "idealness" of the source; rather, the file contains a description of the radiation patterns emitted by the source, which are, by definition, what the reflector surface will actually "see."

Once the mapping process is complete, computer software is used to play the file containing the lamp's complex three-space emission pattern against the surface of any arbitrarily-defined reflector surface, whether a classic conic section or not, whether round (a surface of rotation) or not, whether comprised of smooth curves or an array of discrete facts. A focal point is defined on the surface, and the lamp is simulated to be placed at the focal point. The results of playing the lamp's real radiation patterns against the real reflector surface yields a highly accurate prediction of exactly what the resulting radiation product will look like at any point in space. The prediction can include the light intensity at any point, the rate of change of intensity between arbitrary points in the field, the angles of incidence of light through a given point, and other relevant measurements. This analytical power affords the ability to tailor the lamp/reflector combination to best satisfy the illumination requirements of the particular application, both in spatial intensity and angular distribution. According to one specific implementation of the presently preferred embodiment, the above-mentioned 175 or 200 Watt halogen bulb is used in connection with the above-described method to generate an illumination reflector 77 having an optimized curvature. The resulting illumination reflector 77 may be used with double-ended lamps, such as the 150 Watt metal halide double-ended lamp described below with reference to Figures 10-12. The dimensions of the curvature are expressed below in z and y coordinates, where the y coordinates are measured along an axis 131 that extends perpendicularly to the base of the illumination reflector 77 and through the bulb 73. The z coordinates are expressed in radial distances from the y axis. The specific coordinates for the illumination reflector 77 are reproduced below:

-9.233051e-001 3. OOOOOOe-001

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8.327798e- 001 6. 117314e-001 - 8.307123e- 001 6. 169351e-001

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8.111757e- -001 6. .639320e-001

^■8.089000e- -001 6. .691725e-001

^•8.066029e- -001 6. ,744168e-001

^■8.042844e- -001 6. .796650e-001

^■8.019444e- -001 6. .849169e-001

^■7.995827e- -001 6. .901728e-001 - 7.971994e- -001 6. .954326e-001

7.947941e- -001 7 .006965e-001

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2.134688e+000 2.225755e+000

2.142139e+000 2.225735e+000 2.145869e+000 2.225720e+000

Looking at the z and y coordinates reproduced above, the first number in each pair of coordinates is the z axis coordinate with zero at the focal point. The second number is the y axis coordinate. The first number in the above list, for example, comprises a y value of 0.3 resulting in a 0.6 inch diameter hole at the base of the illumination reflector 77. The final y value in the above list is over 2 inches resulting in a diameter of the illumination reflector 77 of about 4.5 inches. The focal point 129 of the illumination reflector 77 corresponds to the point 2.481236e-005, 1.608924e+000 in the above list of coordinates. The computer-generated curvature of the illumination reflector 77 of the presently preferred embodiment is capable of generating improvements in luminous flux over conventional illumination reflectors .

Referring again particularly to Figures 1 and 2, reference numeral 14 denotes an exemplary non-conic illumination reflector which might be generated using the method described above. Reference numeral 14a denotes, in contrast, a classic conic illumination reflector, having a circular cross section (Figure 2) which might be used in the prior art. The deviation of the shape of reflector 14 from a surface of revolution of a classic conic section has been exaggerated for illustrative purposes.

Another advantage of the non-conic illumination reflector 14 designed and fabricated in accordance with the principles of this invention is the ability to utilize higher intensity light at the light guide end face without burning the light guide ends. Optical beams do not naturally have a uniform intensity distribution across the beam. Imperfections in optical systems can produce peaks and other nonuniformities . Even in ideal systems the intensity distribution will tend toward a Gaussian distribution. A Gaussian beam has a peaked distribution described by

I = e (-x)^' .2)

where I is the intensity of the beam and x is the distance from the center of the beam. Lasers are naturally Gaussian. Other light beams will approach Gaussian as they are diffracted in an optical system.

The existence of intensity peaks when light is launched into an optical light guide can result in light guide burning. This in turn limits the maximum power that can be safely launched into a light guide. For example, when a beam of light is directed onto the end of a bundle of light guides the center light guide (s) tend to burn because intensity of the light is peaked near the center. The non-conic illumination reflector shapes generated by the inventive methods not only compensate for the shape of the lamp but also produce a more uniform intensity distribution at the light guide end face. This permits the safe use of higher intensity levels without burning the fiber ends. It should be noted that this technique for mapping the radiation patterns of a light source, and developing a database from which a reflector may be designed for an illumination system, is not limited to light guide applications. It is also useful for other types of illumination applications, such as projection systems, for example. Furthermore, the database which is developed from the mapping process may be used to fabricate customized lenses as well as reflectors, if desired. Referring now to Figure 10, a modified presently preferred embodiment of the illumination source and illumination reflector illustrated in Figure 1 is shown, wherein like elements are designated by like reference numerals, followed by the letter "a". The essential difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment is that the reflector 14a has been redesigned, in accordance with the principles taught in this application, to have an optimized configuration in order to complement the particular illumination source 12a. With particular reference to Figure 12, the illumination source or lamp 12a comprises a bulb portion 110 and two end portions 112 and 114, respectively. The lamp 12a is preferably of the metal halide type and includes a pair of electrodes 116, 118, respectively, which extend into the bulb portion 110 and along the entire length of each end portion 112 and 114, as illustrated. The electrodes also extend from the opposed ends of the lamp 12a in order to receive electrical power from a power supply for creating an arc discharge between the two spaced electrodes in the bulb portion 110. Insulative blocks 120 and 122, respectively, are disposed in each end portion. In the preferred embodiment, the spacing x between the two electrodes 116, 118 within the bulb portion 110 is approximately 5mm, the maximum width y of the bulb portion 110 is approximately 16 mm, and the length z from the centerline of the bulb portion to the end of one of the end portions 112, 114 is approximately 50-60 mm. The lamp power is 150 Watts, producing about 12000- 13000 lumens of illumination. The operating temperature of the lamp is approximately 6000 degrees Kelvin. The 150 Watt metal halide double-ended lamp of the present invention is manufactured by LUX- Solutions, of Canada.

Figures 13-16 illustrate various views of the light source portion, with the cover removed, of an illumination system according to one embodiment of the present invention. Many elements in Figures 13-16, which are similar to elements in Figures 3-6. Accordingly like elements are designated with like numerals in Figures 13-16 followed by the letter "b." The illumination system uses a 60 Watt metal halide lamp. Such a lamp is manufactured by General Electric, and is referred to as the GE Xenon Metal Halide System, product code 18043 and description number XMH60/CER. The metal halide lamp is manufactured by General Electric with a reflector 188 and, consequently, the illumination reflector 77 is not needed, although a substitution may be made if desired. The metal halide lamp (not shown) is dis- posed within the reflector 188, and a lamp bracket 190 secures the metal halide lamp and the reflector 188 to the housing.

Although exemplary embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, many changes, modifications and substitutions may be made by one having ordinary skill in the art without necessarily departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A light guide illumination system, comprising : an illumination source adapted to emit light; a hot mirror adapted to reflect infrared radiation; a reflector disposed in proximity to the illumination source, the reflector being adapted to reflect the emitted light from the illumination source into the hot mirror; and at least one output light guide adapted to the light from the hot mirror.

2. The light guide illumination system as recited in Claim 1, further comprising a relatively compact homogenizer lens disposed between the hot mirror and the output light guide.

3. The light guide illumination system as recited in Claim 2, further comprising: a fan; and an air deflector, the air deflector being adapted to deflect air from the fan onto the hot mirror.

4. he light guide illumination system as recited in Claim 3, the air deflector further being adapted to deflect air from the fan onto the at least one output light guide.

5. A light guide illumination system, comprising: an illumination source adapted to emit light; a hot mirror adapted to reflect ultra-violet radiation; a reflector disposed in proximity to the illumination source, the reflector being adapted to reflect the emitted light from the illumination source into the hot mirror; and at least one output light guide adapted to the light from the hot mirror.

6. The light guide illumination system as recited in Claim 5, further comprising a relatively compact homogenizer lens disposed between the hot mirror and the output light guide.

7. The light guide illumination system as recited in Claim 6, further comprising: a fan; and an air deflector, the air deflector being adapted to deflect air from the fan onto the hot mirror.

8. The light guide illumination system as recited in Claim 7, the air deflector further being adapted to deflect air from the fan onto the at least one output light guide.