Electroluminescent element comprising reduced number of parts and lighting unit having the same

• US 6,611,097 B1
• Filed: 07/18/2000
• Issued: 08/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hanahara, Tetsuro, Abe, Yoshiharu, Hato, Minoru, Okuma, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Vip
• Assistant Examiner(s): QUARTERMAN, KEVIN J
• Application Number:
  US09/618,182
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 313/506, 313/501, 313/509, 313/503, 313/498, 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
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/28 of translucent electrodes

Abstract

An elecroluminescence (EL) element emits light from its both surfaces. The EL element is formed by printing front electrode layer, luminescent layer made of high dielectric resin with luminous powder dispersed therein, and rear electrode layer made of light-transmittable resin with conductive powder dispersed therein on at least one of surfaces of insulating film.

Claims

1. An electroluminescence element comprising;

a light-transmittable insulating film;

a light-transmittable front electrode layer formed over at least a portion of said light-transmittable insulating film;

a luminescent layer made of high dielectric resin with luminescent powder dispersed therein over said front electrode layer;

a light-transmittable rear electrode layer made of light-transmittable resin with conductive powder dispersed therein over said luminescent layer;

a light-transmittable insulating layer made of light-transmittable resin over said rear electrode layer, and

a dielectric layer made of high dielectric resin with high dielectric powder dispersed therein over said luminescent layer.

2. The electroluminescence element of claim 1, wherein the light-transmittable front electrode is formed on at least a portion of said light-transmittable insulting film.

3. The electroluminescence element of claim 1, wherein the luminescent powder emits under an electric field.

4. An electroluminescence element comprising;

a light-transmittable insulating film;

a light-transmittable front electrode layer formed over at least a portion of said light-transmittable insulating film;

a luminescent layer made of high dielectric resin with luminescent powder dispersed therein over said front electrode layer;

a light-transmittable rear electrode layer made of light-transmittable resin with conductive powder dispersed therein over said luminescent layer;

a light-transmittable insulating layer made of light-transmittable resin over said rear electrode layer, and

a color converting layer made of light-transmittable resin with one of luminous dyes and luminous pigments dispersed therein over at least one of said insulating film, said front electrode layer and said rear electrode layer.

5. The electroluminescence element of claim 4, wherein the light-transmittable front electrode is formed on at least a portion of said light-transmittable insulting film.

6. The electroluminescence element of claim 4, wherein the luminescent powder emits under an electric field.

7. An electroluminescence element comprising:

an insulating film;

a plurality of front electrode layers formed on respective top and bottom surfaces of said insulating film;

plurality of luminescent layers made of high dielectric resin with luminescent powder dispersed therein over respective surfaces of said front electrode layers;

a plurality of light-transmittable rear layers made of light-transmittable resin with conductive powder dispersed therein on respective surfaces of said luminescent layers; and

a dielectric layer made of high dielectric resin with high dielectric powder dispersed therein over both surfaces of said luminescent layers.

8. The electroluminescence element as defined in claim 7, wherein said insulating film and said front electrode layer are light transmittable.

9. The electroluminescence element as defined in claim 7, wherein said front electrode layer is made of resin with conductive powder dispersed therein.

10. The electroluminescence element as defined in claim 7 further comprises a light-transmittable insulating layer made of light-transmittable resin over both surfaces of said rear electrode layers.

11. An electroluminescence element comprising:

an insulating film;

a plurality of front electrode layers formed on respective top and bottom surfaces of said insulating film;

a plurality of luminescent layers made of high dielectric resin with luminescent powder dispersed therein over respective surfaces of said front electrode layers;

a plurality of light-transmittable rear layers made of light-transmittable resin with conductive powder dispersed therein on respective surfaces of said luminescent layers; and

a color converting layer made of light-transmittable resin with one of luminous dyes and luminous pigments dispersed therein over at least one of both surfaces of said insulating layer, both surfaces of said front electrode layer and both surfaces of said rear electrode layer.

12. The electroluminescence element as defined in claim 11, wherein said insulating film and said front electrode layer are light transmittable.

13. The electroluminescence element as defined in claim 11, wherein said front electrode layer is made of resin with conductive powder dispersed therein.

14. The electroluminescence element as defined in claim 11 further comprises a light-transmittable insulating layer made of light-transmittable resin over both surfaces of said rear electrode layers.

15. A lighting unit comprising:

(a) an electroluminescence element including;

(a-1) a light-transmittable insulating film;

(a-2) a light-transmittable front electrode layer formed over at least a portion of said insulating film;

(a-3) a luminescent layer made of high dielectric resin with luminescent powder dispersed therein over said front electrode layer;

(a-4) a light-transmittable rear electrode layer made of light-transmittable resin with conductive powder dispersed therein over said luminescent layer;

(a-5) a dielectric layer made of high dielectric resin with high dielectric powder dispersed therein over said luminescent layer;

(a-6) a light-transmittable insulating layer made of light-transmittable resin over said rear electrode layer, and

(b) at least one of a liquid crystal device and a display panel disposed on at least one surface of said electroluminescence element.

16. A lighting unit comprising:

(a) an electroluminescence element including;

(a-1) a light-transmittable insulating film;

(a-2) a light-transmittable front electrode layer formed over at least a portion of said insulating film;

(a-3) a luminescent layer made of high dielectric resin with luminescent powder dispersed therein over said front electrode layer;

(a-4) a light-transmittable rear electrode layer made of light-transmittable resin with conductive powder dispersed therein over said luminescent layer;

(a-5) a light-transmittable insulating layer made of light-transmittable resin over said rear electrode layer, and

(a-6) a color converting layer made of light-transmittable resin with one of luminous dyes and luminous pigments dispersed therein over at least one of said insulating film, said front electrode layer and said rear electrode layer, and

(b) at least one of a liquid crystal device and a display panel disposed on at least one surface of said electroluminescence element.