Lighting device and methods of making the same

• US 8,668,353 B1
• Filed: 07/11/2013
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Bromer, Nicholas Sheppard
• Primary Examiner(s): Ward, John A
• Application Number:
  US13/940,017
• Publication Number:
  US 20140092595A1
• Time in Patent Office: 243 Days
• Field of Search: 362/235, 362/239, 362/249.02, 257/98, 257/E33.07
• US Class Current: 362/235
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/60 Optical arrangements integrated in the light source, e.g. for improving the colour rendering index or the light extraction
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 11/00 Screens not covered by groups F21V1/00, F21V3/00, F21V7/00 or F21V9/00 characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/502
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/00 Supporting, suspending, or attaching arrangements for lighting devices F21V17/00, F21V19/00 take precedence; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q, stands for supporting apparatus or articles in general F16M11/00; Hand grips
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/06 the elements being coupling devices , e.g. connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/70 characterised by passive heat-dissipating elements, e.g. heat-sinks
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 31/04 Provision of filling media
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0012 Furniture hospital beds F21V33/0072
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0066 specially adapted to cooperate with point like light sources; specially adapted to cooperate with light sources the shape of which is unspecified F21V7/16 - F21V7/30 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2121/00 Use or application of lighting devices or systems for decorative purposes, not provided for in codes F21W2102/00 – F21W2107/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/13 comprising an assembly of point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Lighting devices are disclosed having a light-transmissive resin sheet and one or more light sources disposed within the light-emitting resin sheet. The light sources may, in some embodiments, be oriented so that a large portion of light emitted from the light sources exhibits total internal reflection within the light-transmissive resin sheet and is trapped inside the sheet. This total internal reflection may, for example, advantageously provide a more uniform light emitted from the lighting device when scattered from objects inside the sheet. Methods of making and using the lighting device are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A lighting device comprising:

a light-transmissive resin sheet having a first surface and a second surface on opposite sides; and

one or more polyhedral light sources disposed in the light-transmissive resin sheet between the first surface and the second surface, wherein in each of the polyhedral light sources;

a first vertex is closest to the first surface of the light-transmissive resin sheet relative to other vertices on the same polyhedral light source;

a second vertex is closest to the second surface of the light-transmissive resin sheet relative to other vertices on the same polyhedral light source; and

a distance between the first vertex and the second vertex is about the same as a length of a largest dimension of the polyhedral light sources.

2. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein each of the first vertices on the polyhedral light sources are about the same distance from the first surface of the light-transmitting resin sheet.

3. The lighting device of claim 2, wherein each of the second vertices on the polyhedral light sources are about the same distance from the second surface of the light-transmitting resin sheet.

4. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein a thickness between the first surface and the second surface of the light-transmitting resin sheet is greater than or about equal to the largest dimension of the light sources.

5. The lighting device of claim 4, wherein the thickness between the first surface and the second surface of the light-transmitting resin sheet is less than or about equal to three times the largest dimension of the polyhedral light sources.

6. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein each of the polyhedral light sources comprise two or more light-emitting faces, and wherein each of the light-emitting faces on each of the polyhedral light sources form an angle with the first surface of the light-transmitting resin sheet of about 35°

to about 75°

.

7. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the light-transmitting resin sheet comprises one or more recesses on the first surface of the light-transmitting resin sheet, each of the recesses disposed near each of the first vertices of the polyhedral light sources.