SIGN AND METHOD FOR LIGHTING

• US 20120102800A1
• Filed: 01/05/2012
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting, LLC (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: VAN DE VEN, Antony Paul, Negley, Gerard H.
• Granted Patent: US 9,576,511 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 40/542
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/00 Light sources using semiconductor devices as light-generating elements, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED] or lasers
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/04 Signs, boards or panels, illuminated from behind the insignia

Abstract

A sign comprising a surface having a display, and a plurality of sources of visible light. The sources of visible light are oriented to illuminate at least a portion of the display, and include solid state light emitters and/or luminescent materials. Line segments drawn on a Chromaticity Diagram connecting coordinates of some of the illumination color hues define a shape which encompasses coordinates of the display color hue(s). Also, a sign comprising a surface having a display having a surface area of at least 4 square meters, and at least 100 sources of visible light including solid state light emitters and/or luminescent materials. Also, a sign comprising a white light source and at least one additional source of light. Also, methods of illuminating signs.

Claims

1. A sign, comprising:

a sign structure having a first surface, a display on the first surface, the display comprising at least one display color hue, the display having a surface area of at least 4 square meters; and

at least 100 sources of visible light, the sources of visible light oriented such that when illuminated, they illuminate at least a portion of the display, the sources of visible light from among solid state light emitters and luminescent materials,

the sources of visible light comprising at least one light emitting diode having an illumination surface having a surface area of not more than 0.25 mm².

2. A sign as recited in claim 1, wherein the display has a surface area of at least 40 square meters.

3. A sign as recited in claim 1, wherein the sign comprises at least 1000 of the sources of visible light.

4. A sign as recited in claim 1, wherein the sources of visible light, when illuminated, emit light having a combined intensity of at least 400 lumens.

5. A sign as recited in claim 1, wherein an intensity of at least one of the color hues is at least 35% of an intensity of a mixed illumination produced by mixing illumination from the plurality of sources of visible light.

6. A method of illuminating a sign, comprising:

illuminating a sign structure with at least 100 sources of visible light, the sign structure having a first surface, a display on the first surface, the display comprising at least one display color hue, the display having a surface area of at least 4 square meters,

the sources of visible light from among solid state light emitters and luminescent materials,

the sources of visible light comprising at least one light emitting diode having an illumination surface having a surface area of not more than 0.25 mm².

7. A sign as recited in claim 6, wherein the display has a surface area of at least 40 square meters.

8. A sign as recited in claim 6, wherein the sign comprises at least 1000 of the sources of visible light.

9. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the sources of visible light emit light having a combined intensity of at least 400 lumens.

10. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein an intensity of at least one of the color hues is at least 35% of an intensity of a mixed illumination produced by illumination from the plurality of sources of visible light.

11. A method of illuminating a sign, comprising:

illuminating a sign structure with a white light and at least one additional source of visible light, the sign structure having a first surface, a display on the first surface,

the white light source having a CRI of 75 or less,

the at least one additional source of visible light from among solid state light emitters and luminescent materials,

wherein mixing of light from the white light source and light from the at least one additional source of visible light produces a mixed illumination which has a CRI of at least 85.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the display has a surface area of at least 4 square meters.

13. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the sign comprises at least 100 of the sources of visible light.

14. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the white light source and the at least one additional source of visible light emit light having a combined intensity of at least 400 lumens.

15. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein an intensity of the white light source is at least 60% of an intensity of an illumination formed by mixing illumination from the white light source and the at least one additional source of visible light.

16. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein an intensity of at least one of the color hues is at least 35% of an intensity of a mixed illumination produced by illumination from the white light source and from the at least one additional source of visible light.

17. A method of illuminating a sign, comprising:

illuminating a sign structure with a white light source and a plurality of additional sources of visible light, the sign structure having a first surface, a display on the first surface, the display comprising at least one display color hue having x,y coordinates on a 1931 CIE Chromaticity Diagram,

the white light source having a CRI of 75 or less,

the additional sources of visible light from among solid state light emitters and luminescent materials, the additional sources of visible light, when illuminated, emitting light of an illumination color hue having x,y coordinates on the 1931 CIE Chromaticity Diagram,

wherein line segments drawn on the 1931 CIE Chromaticity Diagram connecting respective x,y coordinates of at least some of the illumination color hues define a shape which encompasses x,y coordinates of the at least one display color hue.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the display has a surface area of at least 4 square meters.

19. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the sign comprises at least 100 of the sources of visible light.

20. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the white light source and the additional sources of visible light emit light having a combined intensity of at least 400 lumens.

21. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein an intensity of the white light source is at least 60% of an intensity of an illumination formed by mixing illumination from the white light source and the additional sources of visible light.

22. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein an intensity of at least one of the color hues is at least 35% of an intensity of a mixed illumination produced by illumination from the white light source and from the additional sources of visible light.