LIGHT EMITTING TUFTED CARPET

• US 20130077312A1
• Filed: 11/19/2012
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: VAN HERPEN, Maarten Marinus Johannes Wilhelmus
• Granted Patent: US 10,436,399 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/249.02
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2200/08 Illumination
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 27/0243 Features of decorative rugs or carpets
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/14 characterised by the properties of the layers
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/042 of carpets B60N3/046, B60N3/048 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/048 characterised by their structure
• CPC Class Codes: D05C 17/02 Tufted products
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/032 the surface being a floor or like ground surface, e.g. pavement
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/006 General building constructions or finishing work for buildings, e.g. roofs, gutters, stairs or floors; Garden equipment; Sunshades or parasols

Abstract

A light emitting tufted carpet including a primary backing layer, an optional secondary backing layer, an optional adhesive layer, a plurality of carpet integrated LEDs arranged to generate carpet light, and first and second electric conductors. The first electric conductor and the second electric conductor are arranged to provide power from a power source to the LEDs. At least one of primary backing layer and the optional secondary backing layer may include a felt layer. One or more of the first electric conductor and the second electric conductor may be at least partially integrated in one or more of the first felt layer and the second felt layer.

Claims

1. A light emitting tufted carpet comprising:

a primary backing layer;

a plurality of LEDs integrated within the light emitting carpet and arranged to generate carpet light; and

a first electric conductor and a second electric conductor arranged to provide power from a power source to the LEDs, with one or more of;

the first electric conductor, and the second electric conductor at least partially integrated in the primary backing layer.

2. The light emitting carpet of claim 1, comprising a secondary backing layer.

3. The light emitting carpet of claim 2, further comprising an adhesive layer arranged between at least part of the primary backing layer and a secondary backing layer.

4. The light emitting carpet of claim 3, wherein one or more of the plurality of LEDs are arranged in a recess of a layer selected from the group consisting of the primary backing layer, the secondary backing layer, and the adhesive layer.

5. The light emitting carpet of claim 1, wherein the primary backing layer includes a first felt layer, the first felt layer comprising a felt layer stack.

6. The light emitting carpet of claim 1, wherein at least part of one or more of the first electric conductor and the second electric conductor are arranged in a plane parallel to at east one top surface.

7. The light emitting carpet of claim 1, wherein one or more of the first electric conductor and the second electric conductor comprise an electrical wire.

8. The light emitting carpet of claim 1, wherein the primary backing layer includes a first felt layer, the first felt layer comprising electrical conductive felt.

9. The light emitting carpet of claim 8, comprising a secondary backing layer including a second felt layer, wherein the first felt layer is the first electric conductor and the second felt layer is the second electric conductor.

10. The light emitting carpet of claim 8, comprising a secondary backing layer including a second felt layer with one or more of the felt layers including an electric conductive felt stack including a first electric conductive felt stack layer as the first electric conductor and a second electric conductive felt stack layer as the second electric conductor with an isolator arranged between the first electric conductive felt stack layer and the second electric conductive felt stack layer.

11. The light emitting carpet of claim 10, wherein the secondary backing layer comprises the electric conductive felt layer stack.

12. The light emitting carpet of claim 1, wherein one or more of the first electric conductor and the second electric conductor comprise an electrical conductive felt strip.

13. The light emitting carpet of claim 3, wherein the adhesive layer is permeable to carpet light, and the LEDs are arranged within one or more of the adhesive layer and the secondary backing layer.

14. The light emitting carpet of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to individually control the optical properties of two or more subsets of LEDs of the plurality of LEDs.

15. The light emitting carpet of claim 1, wherein the primary backing layer includes a first felt layer, comprising a secondary backing layer including a second felt layer wherein one or more of the felt layers are heat conductive.

16. The light emitting carpet of claim 1, wherein the primary backing layer includes a first felt layer and at least part of one or more of the first electric conductor and the second electric conductor are integrated within the first felt layer and are arranged in a plane parallel to at least on top surface.

19. The light emitting carpet of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the LEDs are in contact with the light emitting carpet.

20. The light emitting carpet of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of each felt layer extends under or over a plurality of the LEDs.

21. The light emitting carpet of claim 19 wherein the primary backing layer contains a plurality of recesses in a top surface, the recesses extending partially through the primary backing layer and having respective bottom walls within the primary backing layer and a plurality of the LEDs are in contact with the bottom walls of respective recesses.

22. The light emitting carpet of claim 19 wherein the primary backing layer contains a plurality of recesses in a bottom surface, the recesses extending partially through the primary backing layer and having respective top walls within the primary backing layer and a plurality of the LEDs are in contact with the top walls of respective recesses.

23. The light emitting carpet of claim 1, wherein a top surface of the primary backing layer defines a horizontal plane and a plurality of the LEDs are positioned below the horizontal plane.

24. The light emitting carpet of claim 1, wherein yarns forming tufts are integrated into a top side of the primary backing layer.

25. The light emitting carpet of claim 24, wherein a plurality of the tufts are positioned above LEDs and a portion of the light of the LEDs is directed into tufts above the LEDs.

26. The light emitting carpet of claim 1, wherein the primary backing layer is at least partially permeable by light and a plurality of the LEDs are positioned at a bottom surface of the primary backing layer.

27. The light emitting carpet of claim 1, wherein the carpet comprises a secondary backing layer positioned below the primary backing layer and both the primary backing layer and secondary backing layers are at least partially permeable by light and a plurality of the LEDs are positioned at a bottom surface of the secondary backing layer.

17. A method of producing a light emitting carpet, the method comprising:

providing one or more of;

a primary backing layer; and

a secondary backing layer;

integrating a plurality of LEDs within and in contact with the light emitting carpet and arranged to generate carpet light; and

providing a first electric conductor and a second electric conductor each arranged to provide power from a power source to the LEDs, with one or more of the first electric conductor and the second electric conductor, at least partially integrated in one or more of the primary backing layer and the secondary backing layer.

18. A light emitting carpet comprising:

one or more of;

a primary backing layer, including a first felt layer; and

a secondary backing layer, including a second felt layer;

a plurality of LEDs integrated within and in contact with the light emitting carpet and arranged to generate carpet light; and

a first electric conductor and a second electric conductor each arranged to provide power from a power source to the LEDs, with one or more of the first electric conductor and the second electric conductor, at least partially integrated in one or more of the first felt layer and the second felt layer.