Light emitting panel assemblies for use in automotive applications and the like

• US 20030095398A1
• Filed: 11/18/2002
• Published: 05/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovative Display Technologies LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Jeffery R. Parker, Mark Daryl Miller, Thomas A. Hough
• Inventors: Parker, Jeffery R., Hough, Thomas A., Miller, Mark D.
• Granted Patent: US 6,886,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/29
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0082 mounted on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/26 the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/32 for indicating vehicle sides , e.g. clearance lights
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/14 lighting through the surface to be illuminated
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/252 Sun visors
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/64 for a single lighting device
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/66 for distributing light among several lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/0472 Traffic signs
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/18 Edge-illuminated signs
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/22 electroluminescent electroluminescent light sources per se H05B33/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/83 characterised by legends, e.g. Braille, liquid crystal displays, light emitting or optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/014 LED
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/018 Electroluminescent panel
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/044 Edge lighting of layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/056 Diffuser; Uneven surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/062 Light conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2231/026 Car

Abstract

Light emitting panel assemblies include in one form of the invention a light emitting panel member made of a transparent resiliently deformable elastomeric material that absorbs impact without breakage for use in automotive lighting applications of various types. In another form of the invention, a rigid light emitting panel member may be used with dome switches for switch area lighting or to backlight control buttons/key pads by providing holes or openings in the panel member for the control buttons/key pads. Also, a rigid light emitting panel member may be used as a structural member, and two or more such light emitting panel members may be stacked together and used to light an instrument panel or the like. One or more light sources may be mounted within one or more light transition areas adjacent one or more light input surfaces of the light emitting panel members. Also one or more light sources may be positioned adjacent one side of the light emitting panel members for causing light to shine through the panel members or through holes in the panel members for performing specified lighting functions.

Claims

1. A light emitting assembly for vehicle illumination comprising a light guide having at least one light input surface, a plurality of closely spaced light sources along said light input surface for supplying light to said light guide, a plurality of light extracting deformities on at least one surface of said light guide, said deformities having shapes for controlling an output ray angle distribution of emitted light to suit a particular application, and a transparent substrate overlying at least one surface of said light guide.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises at least one of a sheet, film, lens and plate.

3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said substrate is attached to said light guide.

4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said substrate is positioned against said light guide.

5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said substrate covers said at least one surface of said light guide.

6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said deformities are at least one of depressions and raised surfaces on said one surface of said light guide.

7. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said deformities vary on said one surface of said light guide.

8. The assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of said deformities is at least one of prismatic, lenticular and other device that changes the output ray angle distribution.

9. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said light sources are light emitting diodes.

10. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said light sources are attached to a printed circuit board.

11. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said light sources are embedded, potted, bonded or molded into said light guide.

12. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said deformities are on more than one surface of said light guide.

13. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said deformities are on two sides of said light guide.

14. The assembly of claim 1 wherein at least some deformities are on said substrate.

15. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said substrate has at least one of a prismatic lens, lenticular lens, and other device that changes the output ray angle distribution.

16. The assembly of claim 1 wherein more than one said substrate overlies said light guide.

17. A light emitting assembly for vehicle illumination comprising a light guide having at least one transparent substrate overlying a surface of said light guide, both said light guide and said substrate having deformities on at least one surface of each of said light guide and said substrate, said deformities having shapes for controlling an output ray angle distribution of emitted light to suit a particular application, the deformities on at least one of said light guide and said substrate varying in at least one of the following characteristics:

size, shape, placement, index of refraction, density, angle, depth, height and type.

18. The assembly of claim 17 wherein the variations in the deformities are random.

19. The assembly of claim 17 wherein said substrate comprises at least one of a sheet, film, lens and plate.

20. The assembly of claim 17 wherein said substrate has reflective and refractive surfaces.

21. The assembly of claim 17 wherein said substrate has a coating.

22. The assembly of claim 17 wherein more than one said substrate overlies said light guide.

23. The assembly of claim 17 wherein at least one surface of at least one of said substrate and said light guide is prismatic or lenticular.

24. A light emitting assembly for vehicle illumination comprising a light guide, a transparent substrate overlying a surface of said light guide, at least one of said light guide and said substrate having deformities on at least one surface, said deformities having shapes for controlling an output ray angle distribution of emitted light to suit a particular application, at least some of said deformities including prismatic surfaces having angles that vary.

25. A light emitting assembly for vehicle illumination comprising a light guide having at least one light input surface, at least one light source along said light input surface for supplying light to said light guide, a plurality of light extracting deformities on at least one surface of said light guide, said deformities having shapes for controlling an output ray angle distribution of emitted light to suit a particular application, and a transparent substrate overlying at least one surface of said light guide, said substrate providing at least one of the following:

an exterior portion of a vehicle, protection for the light guide, at least one of text, an image and color, at least one of a prismatic lens, lenticular lens and another device that changes the output ray angle distribution, and improved uniformity of the light output distribution.

26. A light emitting assembly for vehicle illumination comprising a light guide having at least one light input surface, at least one light source along said light input surface for supplying light to said light guide, a plurality of light extracting deformities on at least one surface of said light guide, said deformities having shapes for controlling an output ray angle distribution of emitted light to suit a particular application, a transparent substrate overlying at least one surface of said light guide, at least one of said light guide and said substrate having at least one of a coating and surface treatment that changes, wherein the changes in said at least one of the coating and surface treatment are at least one of the following:

density, color, index of refraction, reflection, opaqueness, translucence, area, depth, shape, size and type.

27. The assembly of claim 26 wherein said at least one of the coating and surface treatment are at least one of the following:

paint, ink, coating and epoxy.

28. The assembly of claim 26 wherein the coating is selected to improve at least one of the following:

color correction, opaqueness, diffusion, reflection, translucence and transmission of light.

29. The assembly of claim 26 wherein at least one surface of at least one of said light guide and said substrate is at least one of prismatic, lenticular and other device that changes the output ray angle distribution.

30. The assembly of claim 26 wherein the coating on at least one of said light guide and said substrate randomly changes.

31. The assembly of claim 26 wherein the surface treatment of at least one of said light guide and said substrate randomly changes.

32. The assembly of claim 26 wherein at least one surface of at least one of said light guide and said substrate varies in shape or geometry.

33. The assembly of claim 32 wherein the shape or geometry of said one surface randomly varies.

34. A light emitting assembly for vehicle illumination comprising a plurality of relatively rigid light guides in overlying relation to one another, each of said light guides having at least one light input surface, at least one light source positioned along said light input surface for supplying light to said light guides, and a plurality of light extracting deformities on at least one surface of each of said light guides for controlling an output ray angle distribution of emitted light to suit a particular application, said light guides being positioned relative to one another such that the light emitted from at least one of said light guides passes through another of said light guides in a desired direction or output ray angle distribution.

35. The assembly of claim 34 wherein said light source is common to more than one of said light guides.

36. The assembly of claim 34 wherein a separate light source is provided for each of said light guides.

37. The assembly of claim 34 wherein said deformities have shape and are at least one of depressions and raised surfaces on said at least one surface of each of said light guides.

38. The assembly of claim 34 wherein said deformities vary.

39. The assembly of claim 34 wherein at least one of said deformities on at least one of said light guides is at least one of prismatic, lenticular and other device that changes the output ray angle distribution.

40. The assembly of claim 34 wherein at least one of said light guides has said deformities on more than one surface.

41. The assembly of claim 39 wherein at least one of said light guides has said deformities on two sides.

42. The assembly of claim 34 wherein said light source is a light emitting diode.

43. The assembly of claim 34 wherein said light source is attached to a printed circuit board.

44. The assembly of claim 34 wherein a separate light source is provided for each of said light guides, said light source for each of said light guides being embedded, potted, bonded or molded in said light guides.

45. The assembly of claim 34 further comprising a transparent substrate overlying at least one surface of at least one of said light guides.

46. The assembly of claim 45 wherein said substrate comprises at least one of a sheet, film, lens and plate.

47. The assembly of claim 45 wherein said substrate is attached to said one light guide.

48. The assembly of claim 45 wherein said substrate is positioned against said one light guide.

49. The assembly of claim 45 wherein said substrate covers said one surface of said one light guide.

50. The assembly of claim 45 where at least some deformities are on said substrate.

51. The assembly of claim 45 wherein said substrate has at least one of a prismatic lens, lenticular lens, and other device that changes the output ray angle distribution.

52. The assembly of claim 34 further comprising a plurality of transparent substrates overlying at least one surface of at least one of said light guides.