Light redirecting films and film systems
First Claim
1. A light redirecting film comprising a thin optically transparent substrate having a light entrance surface for receiving light from a light source and an opposite light exit surface, at least one of the surfaces having a pattern of individual optical elements of well defined shape having at least one flat surface and at least one curved surface and being quite small relative to the length and width of the substrate to redistribute light passing through the substrate in a predetermined angular distribution, wherein at least some of the optical elements intersect each other.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The light redirecting films of the present invention have a pattern of individual optical elements that may intersect and/or interlock each other to achieve substantially complete surface coverage of at least one of the surfaces occupied by the optical elements. At least some of the optical elements may have at least one flat surface and at least one curved surface that may intersect each other to a greater extent on the curved surface than on the flat surface to increase the relative percentage of flat surface area to curved surface area of the intersecting optical elements to increase the on axis gain of light passing through the film.
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Citations
44 Claims
- 1. A light redirecting film comprising a thin optically transparent substrate having a light entrance surface for receiving light from a light source and an opposite light exit surface, at least one of the surfaces having a pattern of individual optical elements of well defined shape having at least one flat surface and at least one curved surface and being quite small relative to the length and width of the substrate to redistribute light passing through the substrate in a predetermined angular distribution, wherein at least some of the optical elements intersect each other.
- 9. A light redirecting film comprising a thin optically transparent substrate having a light entrance surface for receiving light from a light source and an opposite light exit surface, at least one of the surfaces having a pattern of individual optical elements of well defined shape having at least two curved surfaces, one of the curved surfaces of the optical elements having a smaller radius than the other curved surface, the optical elements being quite small relative to the length and width of the substrate to redistribute light passing through the substrate in a predetermined angular distribution, wherein at least some of the optical elements intersect each other to a greater extent on the one curved surface of the optical elements than on the other curved surface to decrease the relative percentage of the one curved surface to the other curved surface of the optical elements to increase on axis gain of light passing through the substrate.
- 12. A light redirecting film comprising a thin optically transparent substrate having a light entrance surface for receiving light from a light source and an opposite light exit surface, at least one of the surfaces having a pattern of individual optical elements of well defined shape having at least two sloping surfaces and being quite small relative to the length and width of the substrate to redistribute light passing through the substrate in a predetermined angular distribution, wherein at least some of the optical elements intersect each other to achieve substantially complete surface coverage of at least one of the surfaces of the substrate within the pattern of optical elements.
- 19. A light redirecting film comprising a thin optically transparent substrate having a light entrance surface for receiving light from a light source and an opposite light exit surface, at least one of the surfaces having a pattern of individual optical elements of well defined shape having at least two sloping surfaces and being quite small relative to the length and width of the substrate to redistribute light passing through the substrate in a predetermined angular distribution, wherein at least some portion of the area of the one surface of the substrate, within the pattern of optical elements, has an area that is not completely covered by the optical elements leaving said area unpatterned.
- 25. A light redirecting film comprising a thin optically transparent substrate having a light entrance surface for receiving light from a light source and an opposite light exit surface, at least one of the surfaces having a pattern of individual optical elements of well defined shape that are quite small relative to the length and width of the substrate to redistribute light passing through the substrate in a predetermined angular distribution, at least some of the optical elements being non-interlockable optical elements having a geometric shape that prevents the non-interlockable optical elements from interlocking with each other, the non-interlockable optical elements being oriented and placed to produce a desired coverage of the portion of at least one of the surfaces of the substrate within the pattern of non-interlockable optical elements.
- 39. A light redirecting film comprising a thin optically transparent substrate having a light entrance surface for receiving light from a light source, and an opposite light exit surface, at least one of the surfaces having a pattern of individual optical elements of well defined shape and quite small relative to the length and width of the substrate to redistribute light passing through the substrate in a predetermined angular distribution, at least some of said optical elements having at least two sides or surfaces that come together to form a ridge, said ridge having at least one section that is non-distinct or misshaped, wherein:
- 41. A light redirecting film comprising a thin optically transparent substrate having a light entrance surface for receiving light from a light source, and an opposite light exit surface, at least one of the surfaces having a pattern of individual optical elements of well defined shape and quite small relative to the length and width of the substrate to redistribute light passing through the substrate in a predetermined angular distribution, at least some of said optical elements having at least two sides or surfaces that come together to form a ridge, said ridge having at least one section that is non-distinct or misshaped, wherein:
- 43. A light redirecting film comprising a thin optically transparent substrate having a light entrance surface for receiving light from a light source, and an opposite light exit surface, at least one of the surfaces having a pattern of individual optical elements of well defined shape and quite small relative to the length and width of the substrate to redistribute light passing through the substrate in a predetermined angular distribution, said optical elements having only two sides or surfaces, one of the sides being flat and the other side being curved, the two sides coming together to form a ridge, said ridge having a flattened, rounded, curved or otherwise misshaped peak, wherein:
Specification