Light emitting panel assemblies

• US 6,712,481 B2
• Filed: 02/23/1999
• Issued: 03/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Innovative Display Technologies LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Solid State Opto Limited (Global Lighting Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Parker, Jeffery R., Ezell, Robert M., Coghlan, Gregory A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sember, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US09/256,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20020141174A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,862 Days
• Field of Search: 362/26, 362/31, 362/330, 362/339, 362/332, 362/335-337
• US Class Current: 362/619
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/309 using white LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0044 by the sight sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 21/02 for inducing sleep or relaxation, e.g. by direct nerve stimulation, hypnosis, analgesia for massage A61H; electrotherapy A61N, e.g. applying alternating or intermittent electric currents for producing anaesthesia A61N1/36021
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/063 comprising light transmitting means, e.g. optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0652 Arrays of diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0621 Hyperbilirubinemia, jaundice treatment
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/10 comprising photoluminescent material
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0018 Redirecting means on the surface of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/002 by shaping at least a portion of the light guide, e.g. with collimating, focussing or diverging surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0021 for housing at least a part of the light source, e.g. by forming holes or recesses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0028 Light guide, e.g. taper
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0031 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0036 2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0038 Linear indentations or grooves, e.g. arc-shaped grooves or meandering grooves, extending over the full length or width of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0043 provided on the surface of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/006 to produce indicia, symbols, texts or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0061 to provide homogeneous light output intensity
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/062 Light conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/07 transparent
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 : Light emitting diode
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/804 : Surgical or dental spotlight

Abstract

Light emitting panel assemblies include a light emitting panel member having a uniform or variable pattern of light extracting deformities of well defined shapes in or on one or more surface areas of the light emitting panel member. The size and shape as well as the depth and angular orientation and position or location of the light extracting deformities may vary along the length and/or width of a panel surface area to obtain a desired light output distribution from the panel surface area. Also, at least some of the deformities may have planar surfaces in parallel spaced relation to a panel surface area. A focused light source may be insert molded or cast within a light transition area of the light emitting panel member to focus the light on an input surface of the light transition area with predetermined ray angles to fit a particular application. Molded supports may be provided on the panel member for supporting other parts or components in spaced relation therefrom. In another embodiment of the invention, an array of light sources may be mounted on a printed circuit board for directing light through a diffuser or lens mounted in spaced relation to the light sources for use in phototherapy treatment or the like.

Claims

1. A light emitting panel assembly comprising a light emitting panel member having at least one input edge for receiving light from at least one light source, and a pattern of individual light extracting deformities on or in at least one panel surface of said panel member for producing a desired light output from said panel member, each of said deformities having a length and width substantially smaller than the length and width of said panel surface and also having a well defined shape, at least some of said deformities having at least one sloping surface for reflecting or refracting light rays impinging on said sloping surface out of said panel member in a desired angular distribution, and said deformities having at least one curved surface intersecting said sloping surface and said panel surface for reflecting or refracting light rays impinging on said curved surface in different directions to spread light across said panel member to provide a mar uniform distribution of light emitted from said panel member.

2. The panel assembly of claim 1 wherein said sloping surface is planar.

3. The panel assembly of claim 1 wherein said sloping surface is curved.

4. The panel assembly of claim 1 wherein said sloping surface intersects said panel surface.

5. The panel assembly of claim 1 wherein at least some of said deformities have an end wall formed by said curved surface.

6. The panel assembly of claim 1 wherein at least some of said deformities have a planar surface intersecting said sloping surface and said curved surface in parallel spaced relation to said panel surface.

7. The panel assembly of claim 1 wherein said deformities are random.

8. The panel assembly of claim 1 wherein at least some of said deformities only have two surfaces, said sloping surface and said curved surface.

9. The panel assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one light source is optically coupled to said input edge, and said sloping surface of at least some of the respective deformities is angled across the width and length of said panel member to face said light source.

10. The panel assembly of claim 9 wherein said light source is a light emitting diode.

11. The panel assembly of claim 1 wherein the area of said sloping surface of the respective deformities varies across the width and length of said panel surface to obtain a desired light output distribution.

12. The panel assembly of claim 1 wherein the area of said curved surface of the respective deformities varies across the width and length of said panel surface to obtain a desired light output distribution.

13. The panel assembly of claim 1 wherein said deformities are arranged in clusters across the width and length of said panel surface, at least some of said deformities in each of said clusters having a different size or shape characteristic that collectively produces an average size or shape characteristic of said deformities for each of said clusters that varies across the width and length of said panel surface.

14. The panel assembly of claim 13 wherein at least some of said deformities in each said clusters have a different depth or height that collectively produce an average depth or height characteristic of said deformities for each of said clusters that varies across the width and length of said panel surface.

15. The panel assembly of claim 13 wherein at least some of said deformities in each of said clusters have a different slope of said sloping surface that collectively produce an average slope of said sloping surface of said deformities for each of said clusters that varies across the width and length of said panel surface.

16. The panel assembly of claim 13 wherein at least some of said deformities in each of said clusters have a different angle orientation of said sloping surface that collectively produce an average angle orientation of said sloping surface of said deformities for each of said clusters that varies across the width and length of said panel surface.

17. The panel assembly of claim 13 wherein at least some of said deformities in each of said clusters have a different width or length that collectively produce an average width or length characteristic of said deformities for each of said clusters that varies across the width and length of said panel surface.

18. The panel assembly of claim 1 wherein said deformities vary in width, depth or height across the width and length of said panel surface.

19. The panel assembly of claim 18 wherein at least one light source is optically coupled to said input edge, and the width, depth or height of said deformities increases as the distance of said deformities from said light source increases across the width and length of said panel surface.

20. The panel assembly of claim 19 wherein said light source is a light emitting diode.

21. The panel assembly of claim 1 wherein said deformities vary in density across the width and length of said panel surface.

22. The panel assembly of claim 21 wherein at least one light source is optically coupled to said input edge, and the density of said deformities increases as the distance of said deformities from the light source increases across the width and length of said panel surface.

23. The panel assembly of claim 22 wherein the light source is a light emitting diode.

24. The panel assembly of claim 1 wherein said panel member is tapered.

25. The panel assembly of claim 1 wherein said panel member is constructed of a flexible material.

26. The panel assembly of claim 1 wherein said panel member is a film.

27. The panel assembly of claim 1 wherein said deformities are on or in one side of said panel member, and additional light extracting deformities are on or in another side of said panel member opposite said one side.

28. The panel assembly of claim 27 wherein said additional deformities are at least one of prismatic, lenticular and V-groove.

29. The panel assembly of claim 1 wherein said panel member has opposite sides, and said deformities are shaped to cause more of the light that is received through said input edge to be reflected or refracted out of one of said sides than the other of said sides.

30. The panel assembly of claim 1 wherein said panel member has front and back sides that are free of any reflective material, and said deformities are shaped to cause more of the light that is received through said input edge to be reflected or refracted out of said back side than out of said front side for front lighting a display having a front face placed in close proximity to said back side for receiving light emitted from said back side.

31. The panel assembly of claim 30 wherein said display comprises a liquid crystal display.

32. The panel assembly of claim 30 wherein said display comprises signage.

33. The panel assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one light source is optically coupled to said input edge, and said deformities vary with the distance of said deformities from said light source across the width and length of said panel surface in at least one of the following characteristics:

size, shape, placement, index of refraction, density, angle, depth, height, and type.

34. The panel assembly of claim 33 wherein said light source is a light emitting diode.

35. The panel assembly of claim 1 wherein at least some of said deformities are of different type of shape than other of said deformities.

36. The panel assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one light source is optically coupled to said input edge, and at least some of said deformities are arranged in a radial pattern cross the width and length of said panel surface in radial alignment with the light source with the sloping surface of said deformities angled to face the light source.

37. The panel assembly of claim 36 wherein more than one light source is optically coupled to said input edge, and some of said deformities are arranged in a radial pattern across the width and length of said panel surface in radial alignment with each said light source with the sloping surface of the respective deformities angled to face the respective light source.

38. The panel assembly of claim 36 wherein the light source is a light emitting diode.

39. The panel assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one light source is optically coupled to said input edge, and said deformities are arranged in a random pattern on or in said panel surface, and the sloping surface of at least some of said deformities is angled across the width and length of said panel surface to face said light source.

40. The panel assembly of claim 39 wherein more than one light source is optically coupled to said input edge, and the sloping surface of at least some of said deformities is angled across the width and length of said panel surface to face the respective light source.

41. The panel assembly of claim 39 wherein the light source is a light emitting diode.

42. The panel assembly of claim 1 wherein at least some of said deformities have at least two surfaces that intersect each other to form a ridge.