LIGHT COLLECTING ELEMENT

Embodiments of the current invention relate to a light collecting element that includes a plurality of light entrance surfaces, a light exit surface having a circularly shaped outer boundary, and a plurality of light collecting legs, each light collecting leg comprising a leg entrance surface and a leg exit surface, each light collecting leg being configured to guide and mix light entering the corresponding leg entrance surface and exiting the corresponding light collecting leg at the leg exit surface. The leg entrance surfaces of all of the light collecting legs form the plurality of light entrance surfaces of the light collecting element and the leg exit surfaces of all light collecting legs form the light exit surface having the circularly shaped outer boundary. The light collecting legs are arranged relative to one another such that light entering the light collecting legs at all leg entrance surfaces and exiting the light collecting element at the light exit surface converges at a focal plane.