Colored lamp

• US 4,382,272 A
• Filed: 10/28/1980
• Issued: 05/03/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ferdinand Quella, Heinz Pape
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Pape, Heinz, Quella, Ferdinand
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, Donald P.
• Application Number:
  US06/201,555
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 362/32, 362/84, 362/217, 362/223, 362/260, 362/318, 350/345
• US Class Current: 362/84
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 2/00 Non-electric light sources using luminescence using excitation by radioactivity G21H3/02, H01J65/06, H01J65/08; using excitation by an external electromagnetic field or by external corpuscular radiation H01J65/04; Light sources using electrochemiluminescence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 13/08 the elements being filters or photoluminescent elements and reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 3/08 the material comprising photoluminescent substances
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 3/12 the coatings comprising photoluminescent substances
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/30 the coatings comprising photoluminescent substances
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 9/40 with provision for controlling spectral properties, e.g. colour, or intensity
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/0472 Traffic signs
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/20 with luminescent surfaces or parts luminescent compositions C09K11/00; light sources using luminescence F21K2/00

Abstract

A colored lamp is emitting colored light of a given range of wavelengths and particularly useful for interior and exterior lighting, for luminous advertising, for street lighting, for signal lights and for decorations characterized by a source of light and an arrangement for absorbing a light wave spectrum which has a shorter wavelength than the given range and for emitting light with a longer wavelength due to photo-luminescence with the arrangements including at least one body provided with a luminescent substance for absorbing the light and emitting the luminescent light. The body may be formed by a container of liquid, a bundle of optical fibers or a solid member which acts as a light concentrator in such a manner that the incident light is collected and conducted by means of a photo-luminescent scattering and subsequent total reflection at the boundary surfaces of the body, with the luminescent light being emitted in specific output locations.

Claims

1. A colored lamp for emitting colored light of a given range of wavelengths, said lamp comprising a housing having an opening, a source of light being disposed in said housing and providing light of a given light wavelength spectrum, and means for absorbing the light of said light wavelength spectrum which has a shorter wavelength than a given range and emitting light with a longer wavelength in the given range, said means being disposed across said opening and including at least one luminescent body of transparent material containing fluorescent particles for absorbing light of the light wavelength spectrum and emitting fluorescent light of said longer wavelength, said particles being disposed in said body, said body being a light concentrator having at least one output location for output coupling light being conducted therein so that said body collects incident light by absorbing it at said particles and by total reflection of the emitted fluorescent light at the boundary surfaces of the body until the emitted fluorescent light is output coupled at said output locations.

2. A colored lamp according to claim 1, wherein the luminescent body is composed of a transparent material having the fluorescent particles being undissolved pigments scattered therethrough, said transparent material and said pigments being selected so that the index of refraction of the transparent material coincides as well as possible with the index of refraction of the pigments.

3. A colored lamp according to claim 1, wherein reflective means are employed for guiding the fluorescent light being conducted in said body.

4. A colored lamp according to claim 1, which includes means for reflecting being provided at locations of said body at which locations total reflection of the light is not obtained due to structural features.

5. A colored lamp according to claim 1, wherein the luminescent body except at the output location is arranged with a layer on a front surface thereof, said layer reflecting the fluorescent light back into said body.

6. A colored lamp according to claim 5, wherein said layer being transparent to the excitation light for the fluorescent particles.

7. A colored lamp according to claim 1, wherein the luminescent body adjacent one surface except in the output location is provided with a foil which greatly absorbs the fluorescent light.

8. A colored lamp according to claim 7, wherein said foil is transparent to the excitation light for the fluorescent particles.

9. A colored lamp according to claim 1, wherein the output locations are formed by means for changing the optical characteristics of a surface of the body.

10. A colored lamp according to claim 9, wherein said means for changing the optical characteristics comprises printing pigments on said surface.

11. A colored lamp according to claim 9, wherein the means for changing optical characteristics include coated notches, bulges and bubbles provided in the surface of the body.

12. A colored lamp according to claim 1, wherein each of the output locations is formed by means disposed in said body for changing the optical transmission of light therein.

13. A colored lamp according to claim 12, wherein said means for changing the optical transmission includes additives with a greatly different index of refraction, scattering centers, and scattering particles deposited in the material of the body.

14. A colored lamp according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of different fluorescent particles are provided in the luminescent body.

15. A colored lamp according to claim 1, wherein different fluorescent particles are provided in said body with topically differing concentrations.

16. A colored lamp according to claim 1, which includes at least one additional luminescent body having a fluorescent particles associated therewith.

17. A colored lamp according to claim 1, wherein the source of light is a fluorescent tube.

18. A colored lamp according to claim 17, wherein the emission spectrum of the fluorescent tube and the absorption spectrum of the fluorescent particles are matched to one another.