Electroluminescent lamp

• US 6,476,552 B1
• Filed: 04/13/2000
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Precision Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Precision Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Yoneda, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nimeshkumar D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CLOVE, THELMA S
• Application Number:
  US09/548,874
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 313/503, 313/506, 313/509, 313/512, 315/169.3, 428/690, 428/917
• US Class Current: 313/506
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/12 Light sources with substantially two-dimensional radiating surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/22 characterised by the chemical or physical composition or the arrangement of auxiliary dielectric or reflective layers

Abstract

The difference of luminance between a front surface side and a rear surface side as viewed from the front surface side is reduced in a multi-layered EL lamp. An EL lamp includes a first laminate formed by serially laminating a first transparent electrode, a first luminescent layer and a first insulating layer, a second laminate formed by serially laminating a second transparent electrode, a second luminescent layer and a second insulating layer on the first laminate, and a rear electrode formed on the second laminate, wherein a dielectric constant between the first and second transparent electrodes is set to a value smaller than a dielectric constant between the second transparent electrode and the rear electrode. This can be achieved by limiting the amount of a high dielectric material to be mixed in the first insulating layer to not greater than 90% in terms of a weight ratio of a high dielectric material mixed in the second insulating layer, or by increasing the thickness of the first luminescent layer to 130 to 250% of the thickness of the second luminescent layer. After the adjustment is made in this way, the thickness of the first insulating layer may be set to not greater than 90% of the thickness of the second insulating layer or may be omitted.

Claims

1. An EL lamp comprising:

a first laminate having a first transparent electrode, and a first luminescent layer;

a second laminate on said first laminate, said second laminate having a second transparent electrode, a second luminescent layer and an insulating layer; and

a rear electrode on said second laminate;

wherein a dielectric constant between said first transparent electrode and said second transparent electrode is smaller than a dielectric constant between said second transparent electrode and said rear electrode.

2. An EL lamp according to claim 1, wherein the first laminate has an insulating layer and a high dielectric material in said insulating layer of said first laminate which has a lower weight ratio than a high dielectric material in said insulating layer of said second laminate.

3. An EL lamp according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of said first luminescent layer is greater than the thickness of said second luminescent layer.

4. An EL lamp according to claim 1, wherein a high dielectric material mixed in said first insulating layer is not greater than 90% in terms of a weight ratio to a high dielectric material mixed in said second insulating layer.

5. An EL lamp according to claim 3, wherein said first luminescent layer has luminescent bodies concentrated in a lower portion.

6. An EL lamp according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of said first luminescent layer is 130 to 250% of the thickness of said second luminescent layer.

7. An El lamp according for claim 2, wherein the thickness of said first luminescent layer is greater than the thickness of said luminescent layer of said second laminate.

8. An El lamp according to claim 1, wherein the first laminate has an insulating layer and the thickness of the insulating layer of said first laminate is less than the thickness of said insulating layer of said second laminate.

9. An EL lamp according to claim 2, wherein the thickness of the insulating layer of said first laminate is less than the thickness of said insulating layer of said second laminate.

10. An EL lamp according to claim 8, wherein the thickness of said insulating layer of said first laminate is not greater than 90% of the thickness of said insulating layer of said second laminate.

11. An EL lamp according to claim 3, wherein said first luminescent layer is comprised of a layer of a luminescent ink having luminescent bodies in a resin binder and a layer of resin binder.

12. An EL lamp according to claim 11, wherein the layer of resin binder is an insulating layer.

13. An EL lamp according to claim 2, wherein the weight ratio of said high dielectric material in said insulting layer of said laminate is essentially zero.