Ultra thin lighting element

• US 20050259939A1
• Filed: 05/02/2005
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Modilis Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Oy Modilis Ltd.
• Inventors: Rinko, Kari
• Granted Patent: US 7,565,054 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/146
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0018 Redirecting means on the surface of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0023 provided by one optical element, or plurality thereof, placed between the light guide and the light source, or around the light source
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0028 Light guide, e.g. taper
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0036 2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0038 Linear indentations or grooves, e.g. arc-shaped grooves or meandering grooves, extending over the full length or width of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0058 varying in density, size, shape or depth along the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/006 to produce indicia, symbols, texts or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0065 Manufacturing aspects; Material aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0075 Arrangements of multiple light guides G02B6/0028 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0076 Stacked arrangements of multiple light guides of the same or different cross-sectional area

Abstract

An ultra thin lighting element including at least one light source. A lightguide element includes one lightguide layer comprising a plurality of discrete fine optic surface relief structures on at least one portion of at least one surface. Each surface relief structure includes basic structural features on the order of about 10 microns or less in height, and on the order of about 10 microns or less in each lateral dimension. The number, arrangement and size of each surface relief structure and height and lateral dimensions of the structural features of the surface relief structures being varied to provide a desired degree of outcoupling modulation of light incoupled into the light guide element.

Claims

1. An ultra thin lighting element, comprising:

at least one light source; and

a lightguide element comprising one lightguide layer comprising a plurality of discrete groups of fine optic surface relief structures on at least one portion of at least one surface, each discrete group comprising basic structural features on the order of about 10 microns or less in height, and on the order of about 10 microns or less in each lateral dimension,

wherein the number, arrangement and size of each surface relief structure and height and lateral dimensions of the structural features of the surface relief structures being varied to provide a desired degree of outcoupling modulation of light incoupled into the light guide element.

2. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 1, wherein the surface relief structures are arranged in small discrete outcoupling structure groups, wherein a region of the lightguide layer in the vicinity of the at least one light source the outcoupling structure groups comprise about 10% or less of the area of the lightguide layer.

3. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the surface relief structures are arranged in a regular pattern.

4. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the surface relief structures are arranged in an irregular pattern.

5. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 1, wherein the lightguide element is flexible.

6. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 1, wherein the lightguide element is foldable.

7. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 1, the lightguide element is curved.

8. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 1, wherein the lightguide elements comprises a plurality of lightguide layers.

9. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 8, further comprising:

at least one film arranged between at least a portion of overlying lightguide layers, the film including at least one of reflector film, diffuser film, prismatic film and brightness enhancement film.

10. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 8, further comprising:

a display arranged adjacent at least a portion of at least side of the lightguide element.

11. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 8, further comprising:

a keypad.

12. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 1, wherein the at least one lightguide layer has a thickness of about 0.01 mm to about 0.4 mm.

13. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 1, wherein the lightguide element has a thickness similar to the height of the light source.

14. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 1, wherein the lightguide element comprises a plurality of lightguide layers, and wherein not all of the lightguide layers have the same thickness.

15. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 1, wherein the lightguide element comprises a plurality of lightguide layers, and wherein the number of lightguide layers differs over the lightguide element.

16. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 1, further comprising:

an optic relief structure on at least a portion of at least one side of the at least one lightguide layer.

17. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 1, further comprising:

an incoupling structure operative to incouple light from the light source into the lighting element,

wherein the incoupling structure comprises a wedge comprising specular reflectors on a top and bottom surface, an elliptical light pipe, a focusing lens or a bundle of split optic fibers.

18. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 17, wherein the light source and the incoupling structure comprise a unitary structure.

19. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 1, comprising multiple lightguide layers, wherein incoupling varies among the layers.

20. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 17, wherein the incoupling structure comprises a slanted, a blazed or a radial binary grating structure and diverging lens.

21. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of light sources, wherein all light sources are arranged on one edge of the lightguide element.

22. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 1, wherein light is incoupled into the lightguide element such that it diffuses into the at least one light guide layer at different conical angles.

23. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 1, further comprising:

a keypad, wherein the at least one light source lights the lightguide element and the keypad.

24. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 23, wherein the lightguide is continuous over keys and buttons.

25. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 23, further comprising:

a dome sheet and electric circuitry wherein the at least one light guide overlies substantially the entire dome sheet.

26. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 25, wherein applying pressure to the at least one light guide layer actuates keys included in the keypad.

27. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 25, wherein the dome sheet is integrated with the at least one light guide layer.

28. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 23, wherein electric circuitry is applied to at least one of the at least one lightguide layer.

29. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 1, further comprising:

a keyboard, wherein the at least one light source lights the lightguide element and the keypad.

30. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 1, wherein the at least one lightguide layer has a thickness of about 0.25 mm to about 0.4 mm.

31. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of each side of the at least one light guide layer includes surface relief structures.

32. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the at least one lightguide layer is curved, and wherein an angle of the curve does not exceed a total reflection angle.

33. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 1, wherein the lightguide element simultaneously outcouples light from two opposite sides.

34. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the lightguide element is substantially uniform over its entire length.

35. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 1, wherein the at least one lightguide layer comprises surface relief structures on at least a portion of two surfaces.

36. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 1, wherein the surface relief structures comprise at least one of diffractive and refractive structures.

37. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 1, wherein the lightguide element comprises two lightguide layers, wherein the two lightguide layers comprise one folded lightguide layer.

38. The ultra thin lighting element according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of

laterally adjacent lightguide elements.