Uniformly thin, high efficiency large area lighting panel with two facet grooves that are spaced apart and have light source facing facets with smaller slopes than the facets facing away from the light source
First Claim
1. A lighting panel comprising a uniformly thin transparent optical guide having parallel end, surfaces, parallel side surfaces, first and second major surfaces and a light source for projecting light into said light guide through one of said end surfaces characterized in that:
- one of said major surfaces includes faceted grooves which extend from one said side surface to the other said side surface, said faceted grooves including first optically flat facets facing said light source, making an angle of between 1° and
15°
with the plane of said major surface, and having second, optically flat facets facing away from the light source, making an angle of between 35° and
55°
with respect to the plane of said major surface, said grooves being spaced to provide flat spacings of between 1 and 200 microns between said faceted grooves, whereby said first optically flat facets and spacings primarily reflect light from the source toward the other end surface, and whereby said second facets reflect light primarily toward the other major surface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A lighting panel providing uniform illumination is described. The panel includes a transparent light guide which has a faceted grooved major surface and a parallel planar surface. The lighting panel introduces light into one end of the light guide. The facets facing the light source are inclined so that they reflect the incident light primarily along the light guide to be reflected from the opposite end. The facet facing away from the light source is inclined to reflect light out through the planar major surface.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A lighting panel comprising a uniformly thin transparent optical guide having parallel end, surfaces, parallel side surfaces, first and second major surfaces and a light source for projecting light into said light guide through one of said end surfaces characterized in that:
one of said major surfaces includes faceted grooves which extend from one said side surface to the other said side surface, said faceted grooves including first optically flat facets facing said light source, making an angle of between 1° and
15°
with the plane of said major surface, and having second, optically flat facets facing away from the light source, making an angle of between 35° and
55°
with respect to the plane of said major surface, said grooves being spaced to provide flat spacings of between 1 and 200 microns between said faceted grooves, whereby said first optically flat facets and spacings primarily reflect light from the source toward the other end surface, and whereby said second facets reflect light primarily toward the other major surface.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A liquid crystal display assembly comprising:
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a lighting panel including a uniformly thin, transparent optical guide having parallel end, surfaces, parallel side surfaces, first and second major surfaces and a light source for projecting light into said light guide through one of said end surfaces in which one of said major surfaces includes faceted grooves which extend from one said side surface to the other said side surface, said faceted grooves including first optically flat facets facing said light source, making an angle of between 1° and
15°
with the plane of said major surface, and having second, optically flat facets facing away from the light source making an angle of between 35° and
55°
with respect to the plane of said major surface, said grooves being spaced to provide flat spacings of between 1 and 200 microns between said faceted grooves, whereby said first optically flat facets and spacings primarily reflect light from the source toward the other end surface, and whereby said second facets reflect light primarily toward the other major surface, anda liquid crystal display mounted on said other major surface to be back-lit by the lighting panel. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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14. A liquid crystal display assembly comprising:
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a lighting panel including a uniformly thin transparent optical guide having parallel end surfaces parallel side surfaces, first and second major surfaces and a light source for projecting light into said light guide through one of said end surfaces wherein; one of said major surfaces includes faceted grooves which extend from one said side surface to the other said side surface, said faceted grooves including first optically flat facets facing said light source, making an angle of between 1° and
15°
with the plane of said major surface, and having second, optically flat facets facing away from the light source, making an angle of between 35° and
55°
with respect to the plane of said major surface, said grooves being spaced to provide flat spacings of between 1 and 200 microns between said faceted grooves, whereby said first optically flat facets and spacings primarily reflect light from the source toward the other end surface, and whereby said second facets reflect light primarily toward the other major surface, anda liquid crystal display mounted on said other major surface to be front-lit by the lighting panel.
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22. A lighting panel comprising a uniformly thin transparent optical guide having parallel end surfaces, parallel side surfaces, first and second major surfaces and a light source at each end surface for projecting light into said light guide, characterized in that:
one of said major surfaces includes first and second sets of faceted grooves which extend from one said side surface to the other said side surface, said faceted grooves in each set including first optically flat facets facing the respective light source, making an angle of between 1° and
15°
with the plane of said major surface, and having second, optically flat facets facing away from the respective light source, making an angle of between 35° and
55°
with respect to the plane of said major surface, said grooves being spaced to provide flat spacings of between 1 and 200 microns between said faceted grooves, whereby said first optically flat facets and spacings primarily reflect light from the source toward the other end surface, and whereby said second facets reflect light primarily toward the other major surface.- View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A liquid crystal display assembly comprising:
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a lighting panel including a uniformly thin, transparent optical guide having parallel end surfaces, parallel surfaces, first and second major surfaces and a light source for projecting light into said light guide through one of said end surfaces in which one of said major surfaces includes faceted grooves which extend from one said side surface to the other said side surface, said faceted grooves including first optically flat facets facing said light source, making an angle of between 1° and
15°
with the plane of said major surface, and having second, optically flat facets facing away from the light source, making an angle of between 35° and
55°
with respect to the plane of said major surface, said grooves being spaced to provide flat spacings of between 1 and 200 microns between said faceted grooves, whereby said first optically flat facets and spacings primarily reflect light from the source toward the other end surface, and whereby said second facets reflect light primarily toward the other major surface, anda liquid crystal display mounted on said major surface to be back-lit by the lighting panel. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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Specification