Illumination delivery system for generating sustained secondary emission

• US 8,664,624 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2012
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Performance Indicator, LLC
• Original Assignee: Performance Indicator, LLC
• Inventors: Kingsley, Edward D., Agrawal, Satish, Cincotta, Louis, Homer, M. Glenn
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Kiho
• Application Number:
  US13/676,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20130088853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 475 Days
• Field of Search: 250/459.1, 250/458.1
• US Class Current: 250/459.1
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 13/08 the elements being filters or photoluminescent elements and reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/30 the coatings comprising photoluminescent substances
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 9/02 for simulating daylight F21V9/04, F21V9/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 9/06 for filtering out ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 9/38 Combination of two or more photoluminescent elements of different materials
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/38 comprising colour filters or colour changing media [CCM]

Abstract

An illumination delivery system for generating sustained secondary emission that includes at least an illumination source, a waveguide, and one or more energy conversion layers is disclosed. Also disclosed are methods of using the inventive illumination delivery system for generating sustained secondary emission.

Claims

1. An illumination delivery system for generating sustained secondary emission, said illumination delivery system comprising:

an illumination source that emits a primary electromagnetic radiation,

a waveguide that receives and propagates said primary electromagnetic radiation, and one or more energy conversion layers that convert at least a portion of said primary electromagnetic radiation to a longer output wavelength, said one or more energy conversion layers comprising a polymer and one or more fluorescent materials having an absorption spectrum that at least partially overlaps with said primary electromagnetic radiation,

wherein said waveguide transmits at least a portion of said primary electromagnetic radiation to said one or more energy conversion layers.

2. The illumination delivery system of claim 1, wherein one of said one or more energy conversion layers is rendered onto one portion of said waveguide and another one of said one or more energy conversion layers is rendered onto another portion of said waveguide.

3. The illumination delivery system of claim 1, wherein said one or more energy conversion layers further comprise at least one of one or more wetting agents, one or more liquid carrier mediums, one or more dispersant agents, one or more deaerating agents, one or more rheology modifiers, or one or more photostabilizers.

4. The illumination delivery system of claim 3, wherein said one or more energy conversion layers having an optical transmission of at least equal to about 95 percent.

5. The illumination delivery system of claim 1, wherein said illumination source is at least one of a chemiluminescent source, a laser, an electroluminescent source, a solid state device, or one or more photoluminescent materials.

6. The illumination delivery system of claim 1, wherein said one or more energy conversion layers being rendered onto at least a portion of a surface of said waveguide that transmits said primary electromagnetic radiation.

7. The illumination delivery system of claim 1, wherein said one or more energy conversion layers being positioned over at least a surface of said waveguide that is remote to said illumination source.

8. The illumination delivery system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of a surface of said waveguide is roughened to extract said primary electromagnetic radiation from said waveguide, said surface being remote to said illumination source.

9. The illumination delivery system of claim 1, wherein said one or more energy conversion layers being optically coupled to said waveguide.

10. The illumination delivery system of claim 1, wherein said one or more energy conversion layers being optically decoupled to said waveguide.

11. The illumination delivery system of claim 1, wherein said one or more energy conversion layers further comprise one or more light scattering materials that disperse at least a portion of radiation, the radiation being at least one of said primary electromagnetic radiation or said longer output wavelength emitted from said one or more energy conversion layers.

12. The illumination delivery system of claim 1, further comprising a reflection layer that redirects at least a portion of radiation to the viewing hemisphere, the radiation being at least one of said primary electromagnetic radiation or said longer output wavelength.

13. The illumination delivery system of claim 12, wherein said reflection layer being rendered onto a surface of said waveguide and said one or more energy conversion layers being rendered onto another surface of said reflection layer.

14. The illumination delivery system of claim 12, wherein said reflection layer being rendered onto a surface of said waveguide and said one or more energy conversion layers being rendered onto an opposing surface of said waveguide.

15. The illumination delivery system of claim 12, wherein said reflection layer comprises a plurality of alternate layers of non-metallic materials having high and low dielectric constants.

16. The illumination delivery system of claim 12, wherein said reflection layer is a lenticular or a microprismatic element.

17. The illumination delivery system of claim 1, further comprising a diffusion layer that substantially increases optical scattering of at least a portion of radiation, the radiation being at least one of said primary electromagnetic radiation or said longer output wavelength.

18. The illumination delivery system of claim 1, further comprising a protective layer that provides physical and chemical durability for at least said one or more energy conversion layers.

19. The illumination delivery system of claim 1, wherein said primary electromagnetic radiation having wavelengths being at least one of visible or ultraviolet.

20. The illumination delivery system of claim 1, wherein said longer output wavelength is at least one of infrared, visible, or ultraviolet.

21. A method for generating sustained secondary emission, said method comprising:

providing an illumination delivery system for generating sustained secondary emission, said illumination delivery system comprising;

(i) an illumination source that emits a primary electromagnetic radiation,

(ii) a waveguide that receives and propagates said primary electromagnetic radiation, and

(iii) one or more energy conversion layers comprising a polymer and one or more fluorescent materials having an absorption spectrum that at least partially overlaps with said primary electromagnetic radiation,

wherein said waveguide transmits at least a portion of said primary electromagnetic radiation to said one or more energy conversion layers, such that said one or more energy conversion layers subsequently convert at least a portion of said primary electromagnetic radiation to a longer output wavelength.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein one of said one or more energy conversion layers is rendered onto one portion of said waveguide and another one of said one or more energy conversion layers is rendered onto another portion of said waveguide.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein said one or more energy conversion layers further comprise at least one of one or more wetting agents, one or more liquid carrier mediums, one or more dispersant agents, one or more deaerating agents, one or more rheology modifiers, or one or more photostabilizers.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said one or more energy conversion layers having an optical transmission of at least equal to about 95 percent.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein said illumination source is at least one of a chemiluminescent source, a laser, an electroluminescent source, a solid state device, or one or more photoluminescent materials.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein said one or more energy conversion layers being rendered onto at least a portion of a surface of said waveguide that transmits said primary electromagnetic radiation.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein said one or more energy conversion layers being positioned over at least a surface of said waveguide that is remote to said illumination source.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein at least a portion of a surface of said waveguide is roughened to extract said primary electromagnetic radiation from said waveguide, said surface being remote to said illumination source.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein said one or more energy conversion layers is optically coupled to said waveguide.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein said one or more energy conversion layers being optically decoupled to said waveguide.

31. The method of claim 21, wherein said one or more energy conversion layers further comprise one or more light scattering materials that disperse at least a portion of radiation, the radiation being at least one of said primary electromagnetic radiation or said longer output wavelength emitted from said one or more energy conversion layers.

32. The method of claim 21, wherein said illumination delivery system further comprises a reflection layer that redirects at least a portion of radiation to the viewing hemisphere, the radiation being at least one of said primary electromagnetic radiation or said longer output wavelength.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein said reflection layer being rendered onto a surface of said waveguide and said one or more energy conversion layers being rendered onto another surface of said reflection layer.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein said reflection layer being rendered onto a surface of said waveguide and said one or more energy conversion layers being rendered onto an opposing surface of said waveguide.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein said reflection layer comprises a plurality of alternate layers of non-metallic materials having high and low dielectric constants.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein said reflection layer is a lenticular or a microprismatic element.

37. The method of claim 21, wherein said illumination delivery system further comprises a diffusion layer that substantially increases optical scattering of at least a portion of radiation, the radiation being at least one of said primary electromagnetic radiation or said longer output wavelength.

38. The method of claim 21, wherein said illumination delivery system further comprises a protective layer that provides physical and chemical durability for at least said one or more energy conversion layers.

39. The method of claim 21, wherein said primary electromagnetic radiation having wavelengths being at least one of visible or ultraviolet.

40. The method of claim 21, wherein said longer output wavelength is at least one of infrared, visible, or ultraviolet.