Lighting panel

• US 6,732,478 B1
• Filed: 08/30/2001
• Issued: 05/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michael Gulvin Russell, Michelle Evelyn Russell
• Original Assignee: Michael Gulvin Russell, Michelle Evelyn Russell
• Inventors: Russell, Michelle Evelyn, Russell, Michael Gulvin
• Primary Examiner(s): Friedman, Carl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KATCHEVES, BASIL S
• Application Number:
  US09/856,563
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 362/153, 52/28, 521/261, 521/256, 524/80, 52/38, 521/266, 527/861, 527/861.1, 522/201, 526/561, 526/57, 108/23, 248/346.1, 248/678, 405/64, 406/00, 428/34, 428/16
• US Class Current: 52/28
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 5/14 with beams or girders laid in two directions
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 5/46 Special adaptation of floors for transmission of light, e.g. by inserts of glass of ceilings E04B9/32, block-shaped elements E04C1/42; slab- or sheet-shaped elements E04C2/54; for roof covering E04D3/06
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/02423 filled with core material
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2015/02127 adjustable perpendicular to the underlayer E04F15/02464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/006 General building constructions or finishing work for buildings, e.g. roofs, gutters, stairs or floors; Garden equipment; Sunshades or parasols
• 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 6/0043 provided on the surface of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0078 Side-by-side arrangements, e.g. for large area displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0093 Means for protecting the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/22 Advertising or display means on roads, walls or similar surfaces, e.g. illuminated

Abstract

A floor panel (20L) or (20R) comprises a first plastics sheet (5) edge lit by a light source in a space (8), a second plastics sheet (6) being provided above the first sheet and below an upper sheet (7) of glass. A floor may be formed by placing a number of panels together, and the floor panels may be mounted on a matrix of beams (22) which are themselves mounted on height adjustable pedestals.

Claims

1. A lighting panel, comprising:

a sheet of plastics material and a sheet of glass mounted on said sheet of plastics material and overlapping it on at least one edge;

a second transparent or translucent sheet of plastic material provided between the first sheet and said glass to give additional support to the glass under the overlap; and

a light source provided under the overlap at the edge of the sheet of plastics material.

2. A lighting panel as claimed in claim 1, in which the sheet of plastics material is supported in a base member.

3. A lighting panel as claimed in claim 2, in which the base member includes a support structure to support the sheet of plastics material.

4. A lighting panel as claimed in claim 3, in which the base member is a rectangular frame, and the support structure comprises struts extending generally diagonally across corners of the frame.

5. A lighting panel as claimed in claim 4, in which the struts are also parallel to the edges of the frame.

6. A lighting panel as claimed in claim 4, in which the corners of the frame include adjustable feet to level the frame relative to a floor on which it is sitting.

7. A lighting panel as claimed in claim 4, in which the support structure is sheets of wood, such as plywood, in the base member.

8. A lighting panel as claimed in claim 1, in which the or each sheet of plastics material is an acrylic sheet.

9. A lighting panel as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

a sheet of plastics material and a sheet of glass mounted on said sheet of plastics material and overlapping it on at least one edge; and

a second transparent or translucent sheet of plastic material provided between the first sheet and said glass to give additional support to the glass under the overlap;

in which the surface of the glass may be treated to provide a non-slip surface and/or to diffuse light.

10. A lighting panel as claimed in claim 9, in which the surface of the glass has been treated by shot blasting the surface.

11. A floor produced by assembling together two or more lighting panels as claimed in claim 1.

12. A floor as claimed in claim 11, in which the panels are supported on a matrix of beams.

13. A floor as claimed in claim 12, in which the beams include visible leveling means.

14. A floor as claimed in claim 13, in which the beams are supported on pedestals.

15. A floor as claimed in claim in which the pedestals height adjustable.

16. A lighting panel, comprising:

a first sheet of plastics material and a sheet of glass mounted on said first sheet of plastics material and overlapping it on at least one edge;

a second transparent or translucent sheet of plastic material provided between the first sheet and said glass to give additional support to the glass under the overlap; and

a light source provided under the overlap at the edge of the sheet of plastics material;

in which the first sheet of plastics material has an ink dot coating on its surface to emit light from the light source edge lighting the sheet.

17. A lighting panel, comprising:

a first sheet of plastics material and a sheet of glass mounted on said first sheet of plastics material and overlapping said first sheet of plastics material on at least one edge;

a second transparent or translucent sheet of plastic material provided between the first sheet and said glass to give additional support to the glass under the overlap;

a reflective layer provided under the first sheet of plastics material; and

a light source provided under the overlap at the edge of the first sheet of plastics material.