Illumination panel

• US 9,732,938 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2014
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Morgan Innovation Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Morgan Solar Inc.
• Inventors: Chang, Philip, Caelers, Stephen, Morgan, John Paul, Sinclair, Michael, Morris, Nigel, Myrskog, Stefan, Barnes, Brett, Dufour, Pascal
• Primary Examiner(s): Garlen, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US14/218,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20140286017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,246 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/12 characterised by using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/02 with provision for adjustment F21V17/04 - F21V17/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/502 characterised by the adaptation for cooling of specific components
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/00 Reflectors for light sources characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/505
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/04 Optical design
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0414 using plane or convex mirrors, parallel phase plates, or plane beam-splitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/42 using electric radiation detectors optical or mechanical part G01J1/04; by comparison with a reference light or electric value G01J1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02013 comprising output lead wires elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/048 Encapsulation of modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0508 the interconnection means having a particular shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/052 Cooling means directly associated or integrated with the PV cell, e.g. integrated Peltier elements for active cooling or heat sinks directly associated with the PV cells cooling means in combination with the PV module H02S40/42
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0543 comprising light concentrating means of the refractive type, e.g. lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0547 comprising light concentrating means of the reflecting type, e.g. parabolic mirrors, concentrators using total internal reflection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0687 Multiple junction or tandem solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/22 Light-reflecting or light-concentrating means directly associated with the PV cell or integrated with the PV cell H01L31/054
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/52 PV systems with concentrators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/544 Solar cells from Group III-V materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Illumination panel comprises: (1) a receiver substrate assembly including: (a) a rigid sheet of light transmissive material having a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a conductor pattern attached to the first surface; and (b) at least one receiver assembly affixed to the rigid sheet, each receiver assembly including a light source in electrical communication with the conductor pattern; and (2) at least one light-guide optic attached to and supported by the receiver substrate assembly, each light-guide optic in optical communication with the photovoltaic cell of an associated one of the at least one receiver assembly for guiding light for output via the rigid sheet.

Claims

1. An illumination panel comprising:

a receiver substrate assembly including;

a rigid sheet of light transmissive material having a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a conductor pattern attached to the first surface; and

at least one receiver assembly affixed to the rigid sheet, each receiver assembly including a light source in electrical communication with the conductor pattern;

at least one reflecting optic attached to and supported by one of the first surface and the second surface of the receiver substrate assembly, each reflecting optic in optical communication with the light source of an associated one of the at least one receiver assembly, reflecting light received therefrom, at least a portion of the reflected light diverging from an optical axis of the reflecting optic; and

at least one refracting optic attached to and supported by an other one of the first surface and the second surface of the receiver substrate assembly, each refracting optic associated with and in optical communication with one of the at least one reflecting optic, each refracting optic comprising at least one curved refracting surface, the divergent reflected light being refracted and collimated by the at least one curved refracting surface.

2. The illumination panel of claim 1, wherein each reflecting optic comprises at least one reflective surface for guiding light received from the light source out through the receiver substrate assembly.

3. The illumination panel of claim 1, wherein the at least one refracting element includes a lens.

4. The illumination panel of claim 1, wherein the conductor pattern includes two or more bus bars.

5. The illumination panel of claim 1, wherein the light transmissive material of the rigid sheet is a thermally insulating material.

6. The illumination panel of claim 1, wherein the light transmissive material of the rigid sheet is glass.

7. The illumination panel of claim 1, wherein the first and second surfaces of the rigid sheet are flat and parallel to each other.

8. The illumination panel of claim 1, wherein the reflecting optic is made of a different material than the rigid sheet.

9. The illumination panel of claim 1, wherein the reflecting optic is made of poly(methyl) methacrylate.

10. The illumination panel of claim 1, wherein the refracting optic is made of a different material than the rigid sheet.

11. The illumination panel of claim 1, wherein the refracting optic is made of poly(methyl) methacrylate.

12. The illumination panel of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one reflecting optic and the at least one refracting optic is 3D printed onto the rigid sheet.

13. The illumination panel of claim 1, wherein the conductor pattern comprises at least two bus bars and a plurality of interconnection traces for electrical connection of the at least one receiver assembly to the bus bars.

14. The illumination panel of claim 1, wherein the conductor pattern comprises a heat spreader portion.

15. The illumination panel of claim 14, wherein the heat spreader portion comprises a positive half and a negative half, each half comprising a plurality of arms in the shape of circular arcs and a terminus interconnected by an interconnection trace.

16. The illumination panel of claim 1, wherein the conductor pattern is metalized onto the first surface.

17. The illumination panel of claim 1, wherein the conductor pattern is formed from a sheet of conductive material.

18. The illumination panel of claim 1, wherein the conductor pattern comprises a heat spreader portion.

19. The illumination panel of claim 18, wherein the conductor pattern is disposed between the rigid sheet and one of the reflecting optic and the at least one refracting optic, and the heat spreader portion is shaped and positioned so as to avoid blocking light transmitted from the reflecting surfaces of the reflecting optic to the at least one refracting optic.

20. A panel comprising:

a rigid sheet of light-transmissive material having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, a light source being affixed to one of the first surface and the second surface;

at least one reflecting optic attached to and supported by one of the first surface and the second surface of the rigid sheet of light-transmissive material, the at least one reflecting optic being in optical communication with the light source and having at least one reflective surface, reflecting light received therefrom, at least a portion of the reflected light diverging from an optical axis of the reflecting optic;

at least one refractive optic attached to and supported by an other one of the first surface and the second surface of the rigid sheet of light-transmissive material, the least one refractive optic associated with and in optical communication with one of the at least one reflecting optic, each refractive optic having at least one refractive element for cooperative operation with the at least one reflecting optic, each refractive optic having at least one curved refracting surface, the divergent reflected light being refracted and collimated by the curved refracting surface; and

the light source being intermediate the at least one reflecting optic and the at least one refractive optic.

21. An illumination panel comprising:

a receiver substrate assembly including;

a rigid sheet of light transmissive material having a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface; and

a light source affixed to the first surface of the rigid sheet and in electrical communication with a conductor;

a refracting optic attached to and supported by one of the first surface and the second surface of the receiver substrate assembly, the refracting optic having a plurality of concentric ring-shaped lenses and a light-transmissive body, each of the concentric ring-shaped lenses having a curved refractive surface;

a reflecting optic attached to and supported by an other of the first surface and the second surface of the receiver substrate assembly, the reflecting optic having a plurality of ring-shaped reflective surfaces and a light-transmissive body, each of the ring-shaped reflective surfaces associated with and in optical communication with one of the ring-shaped lenses;

each of the ring-shaped reflective surfaces being shaped and positioned to receive light from the light source and to reflect the received light through the light-transmissive body of the reflecting optic, at least a portion of the reflected light diverging from an optical axis of the reflecting optic, the rigid sheet and the light-transmissive body of the refracting optic towards one of the ring-shaped lenses associated with that one of the ring-shaped reflective surfaces, a ring-shaped focus of the one of the ring-shaped lenses associated with that one of the ring-shaped reflective surfaces being positioned near that ring-shaped reflective surface such that the divergent light from the ring-shaped reflective surfaces is refracted by the curved refracting surface of that lens and transmitted to the exterior of the illumination panel as a collimated beam of light.

22. The illumination panel of claim 21, wherein the reflecting optic further comprises a ring-shaped conditioning surface that receives light directly from the light source and reflects the received light towards the ring-shaped reflecting surfaces.