Luminous multiple glazing unit for an item of furniture

• US 9,664,835 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2012
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Original Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Inventors: Kleo, Christophe, Richard, Alexandre, Buerle, Pascal, Grandgirard, Bastien, Verrat-Debailleul, Adle
• Primary Examiner(s): Chavez, Renee
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kryukova, Erin
• Application Number:
  US14/344,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20140369063A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,765 Days
• Field of Search: 362611, 362612, 362613, 362614, 362632-634, 62264, 312116
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 11/10 Arrangements of light sources
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0434 Glass or transparent panels
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 31/005 Sealing arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0012 Furniture hospital beds F21V33/0072
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/301 for furniture
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/00 Planar light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0005 the light guides being of the fibre type G02B6/0003 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0095 Light guides as housings, housing portions, shelves, doors, tiles, windows, or the like

Abstract

A luminous multiple glazing unit of a door of furniture notably refrigerated includes a first sheet of mineral glass or organic glass, a second sheet separated from the first sheet by peripheral spacer, a peripheral light source with a source support, a light extraction device for extracting the guided light to form at least one luminous zone, the source support being in a housing surrounded by material, forming a framing, including an assembly element, covered by a cap, the cap and the diode support being removable from the glazing unit.

Claims

1. A luminous multiple glazing unit comprising:

a first sheet of mineral glass or organic glass having a first main face and a second main face and an edge;

a second sheet separated from the first sheet by a peripheral spacer;

a peripheral light source supported by a source support, said light source being selected from a self-supporting optical fiber with a lateral portion forming a light emitting zone and from light-emitting diodes each comprising a semiconductor chip with an emitting face, the emitting zone or face being opposite the edge of the first sheet for propagation of visible light or ultraviolet light, or both visible and ultraviolet light injected in a thickness of the first sheet by said peripheral light source, the first sheet performing the role of guide of the injected light; and

a light extraction device to extract the guided light to form at least one luminous zone;

an assembly element arranged at a periphery of the glazing unit and over the edge of the first sheet so that an elongated cavity is formed between the assembly element and the edge of the first sheet when the assembly element is arranged at the periphery of the glazing unit, said assembly element including an opening for arranging said source support inside the elongated cavity, the source support being removably arranged in the elongated cavity, and

a cap constructed to cover said opening and removably connected to the assembly element,

wherein the opening is formed on an outer surface of the assembly element and is dimensioned to receive the source support through said opening to arrange the source support in the elongated cavity, and

wherein the light source extends along a longitudinal direction along the edge of the first sheet and the opening and the cap extend along that same longitudinal direction when the cap covers the opening,

wherein the luminous multiple glazing unit is a glazing unit of a door of a furniture.

2. The luminous multiple glazing unit as claimed in claim 1, comprising a cap holder to hold the cap in position in said assembly element and a source support holder to hold the source support in position, wherein the cap holder is reversible and selected from the group consisting of a clip, a screw, and a magnet or the source support holder is reversible, or both the cap holder and the source support holder are reversible.

3. The luminous multiple glazing unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cap is associated with an interfacial element, for interfacial sealing against one or more fluids and dust at a periphery of an internal face of the cap or on one side of the cap.

4. The luminous multiple glazing unit as claimed in claim 3, wherein the interfacial sealing element is a compressed material, sealing by compression of the material being achieved by a closing force applied when fixing the cap on the assembly element, the interfacial sealing element selected from:

a polymer seal, the seal being in a recess or a groove of the cap, or a groove in the assembly element, and

a foam.

5. The luminous multiple glazing unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the source is the light-emitting diodes and wherein the source support supporting the light-emitting diodes at least is provided, prior to its integration in the glazing unit, with at least one layer for humidity protection or with an encapsulation of silicone, epoxy or acrylic, or both with at least one layer for humidity protection and with an encapsulation of silicone, epoxy or acrylic.

6. The luminous multiple glazing unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cap holder to hold the cap in position is separate from a positioning device to position the cap or the source support holder to hold the source support in position is separate from a positioning device to position the source support, or both the cap holder to hold the cap in position is separate from a positioning device to position the cap and the source support holder to hold the source support in position is separate from a positioning device to position the source support.

7. The luminous multiple glazing unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein a distance between the emitting face or zone and the edge is controlled by a source support positioner to position the source support in the three directions of an orthogonal frame of reference.

8. The luminous multiple glazing unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the assembly element:

is a monolithic annular component,

or is a component in several separate parts,

or is of a material with a local recess for housing the light source.

9. The luminous multiple glazing unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the source support is positioned in the assembly element by one or more stops, and the cap comprises or interacts with elements, which in the assembled position of the cap, hold the source support in position in the assembly element.

10. The luminous multiple glazing unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cap carries the source support, and the source support.

11. The luminous multiple glazing unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein assembly of the cap is by rotation and reversible fixation.

12. The luminous multiple glazing unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cap and the assembly element are of metal or of plastic.

13. The luminous multiple glazing unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the assembly element is a functional element which is a metal core of a preassembled seal, hollowed out locally, optionally covered with a polymer material.

14. The luminous multiple glazing unit as claimed in claim 13, wherein the light source is the light-emitting diodes and wherein the cap is lateral, opposite the edge, and the preassembled seal has stops for an edge of the source support supporting the light-emitting diodes, thus pre-positioning the source support in a recess of the preassembled seal.

15. The luminous multiple glazing unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cap is essentially facial.

16. The luminous multiple glazing unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the furniture is refrigerated.

17. The luminous multiple glazing unit as claimed in claim 15, wherein the light source is the light-emitting diodes and wherein the light-emitting diodes have lateral emission.

18. A luminous multiple glazing unit comprising:

a first transparent sheet having an outer main face, an inner main face and an edge;

a second transparent sheet separated from the first transparent sheet by a peripheral spacer, the second transparent sheet having an outer main face, an inner main face and an edge, the inner main face of the first transparent sheet facing toward the inner main face of the second transparent sheet;

a peripheral light source supported by a source support, said light source including a light emitting face that is opposite the edge of the first transparent sheet so that, in use, light emitted by the light emitting face propagates in a thickness of the first transparent sheet, the light being visible light or ultraviolet light, or both visible light and ultraviolet light;

a light extraction device arranged to extract the light propagating in said first transparent sheet to form at least one luminous zone, and

an assembly element arranged at a periphery of the glazing unit and covering the edges of the first and second transparent sheet and attached to at least one of the outer main faces of the first and the second transparent sheet so that an elongated cavity is formed between the assembly element and at least the first transparent sheet when the assembly element is arranged at the periphery of the glazing unit, said assembly element including an opening for arranging said source support inside the elongated cavity, the source support being removably arranged in the elongated cavity, and

a cap constructed to cover said opening and removably connected to the assembly element,

wherein the opening is formed on an outer surface of the assembly element and is dimensioned to receive the source support through said opening to arrange the source support in the elongated cavity, and

wherein the light source extends along a longitudinal direction along the edge of the first sheet and the opening and the cap extend along that same longitudinal direction when the cap covers the opening,

wherein the luminous multiple glazing unit is a glazing unit of a door of a furniture.

19. The luminous multiple glazing unit as claimed in claim 18, wherein the light source comprises a plurality of light-emitting diodes.

20. The luminous multiple glazing unit as claimed in claim 18, wherein the light extraction device includes scattering elements or a diffusing layer arranged on the outer main face of the first transparent sheet, or both scattering elements and a diffusing layer arranged on the outer main face of the first transparent sheet.

21. The luminous multiple glazing unit as claimed in claim 18, wherein the elongated cavity, when covered by the cap, is sealed from the outside environment.

22. The luminous multiple glazing unit as claimed in claim 18, wherein at least one of the outer main face and inner main face of the first transparent sheet is devoid of an antifrost layer, or a low-emission layer, or a heating layer, or is devoid of an antifrost layer, a low-emission layer and a heating layer.