Electroluminescent lamp using multilayer optical film

• US 5,831,375 A
• Filed: 07/24/1997
• Issued: 11/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Company
• Inventors: Benson, Olester Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAYNES, MACK NELSON
• Application Number:
  US08/900,078
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• Field of Search: 313/110, 313/111, 313/112, 313/113, 313/504, 313/505, 313/506, 313/509, 313/511, 313/512, 359/577, 359/580-81, 359/584-86, 359/587-88, 359/885, 359/887, 359/891
• US Class Current: 313/110
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133536 Reflective polarizers G02F1/13362 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133545 Dielectric stack polarisers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13362 providing polarized light, e.g. by converting a polarisation component into another one
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/12 Light sources with substantially two-dimensional radiating surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/22 characterised by the chemical or physical composition or the arrangement of auxiliary dielectric or reflective layers

Abstract

Electroluminescent lamps incorporating one or more multilayer optical films according to the present invention to polarize and/or reflect light. The multilayer optical films exhibit the ability to reflect significant amounts of normal and off-axis incident light.

Claims

1. An electroluminescent lamp comprising:

a) a light transmissive layer comprising a multilayer optical film, wherein the multilayer optical film reflects at least about 80% of normally incident visible light having a first polarization orientation and at least about 80% of visible light of the first polarization which is incident on the multilayer optical film at an angle of 60 degrees from normal, and further wherein the multilayer optical film transmits at least about 50% of normally incident visible light having a second polarization orientation, wherein the second polarization orientation is substantially orthogonal to the first polarization orientation;

b) a visible light-transmissive first conductive layer having first and second surfaces, the first surface of the first conductive layer proximate a first surface of the multilayer optical film;

c) a visible light-emitting layer comprising electroluminescent material, the light-emitting layer having first and second surfaces, the first surface of the light-emitting layer proximate the second surface of the first conductive layer; and

d) a second conductive layer having first and second surfaces, the first surface of the second conductive layer proximate the second surface of the light-emitting layer.

2. A lamp according to claim 1, wherein the multilayer optical film reflects at least about 90% of normally incident visible light having the first polarization orientation.

3. A lamp according to claim 1, wherein the multilayer optical film reflects at least about 95% of normally incident visible light having the first polarization orientation.

4. A lamp according to claim 1, wherein the multilayer optical film reflects at least about 98% of normally incident visible light having the first polarization orientation.

5. A lamp according to claim 1, wherein the multilayer optical film reflects at least about 99% of normally incident visible light having the first polarization orientation.

6. An electroluminescent lamp according to claim 1, further comprising a back reflector having first and second surfaces, the first surface of the back reflector proximate the second surface of the second conductive layer, wherein the back reflector comprises a multilayer optical film that reflects at least about 80% of all normally incident visible light and at least about 80% of visible light incident on the back reflector at an angle of 60 degrees from normal.

7. An electroluminescent lamp according to claim 6, wherein the back reflector reflects at least about 90% of all normally incident visible light.

8. An electroluminescent lamp according to claim 6, wherein the back reflector reflects at least about 95% of all normally incident visible light.

9. An electroluminescent lamp according to claim 6, wherein the back reflector reflects at least about 98% of all normally incident visible light.

10. An electroluminescent lamp according to claim 6, wherein the back reflector reflects at least about 99% of all normally incident visible light.

11. An electroluminescent lamp according to claim 6, wherein the back reflector reflects at least about 90% of all visible light incident at an angle of 60 degrees from normal.

12. An electroluminescent lamp according to claim 6, wherein the back reflector reflects at least about 95% of all visible light incident at an angle of 60 degrees from normal.

13. An electroluminescent lamp according to claim 6, wherein the back reflector reflects at least about 98% of all visible light incident at an angle of 60 degrees from normal.

14. An electroluminescent lamp according to claim 6, wherein the back reflector reflects at least about 99% of all visible light incident at an angle of 60 degrees from normal.

15. An electroluminescent lamp comprising:

a) a visible light transmissive layer comprising a multilayer optical film, wherein the multilayer optical film reflects at least about 90% of normal visible light having a first polarization orientation and at least about 80% of visible light of the first polarization which is incident on the multilayer optical film at an angle of 60 degrees from normal, and further wherein the multilayer optical film transmits at least about 50% of normally incident visible light having a second polarization orientation, wherein the second polarization orientation is substantially orthogonal to the first polarization orientation;

b) a visible light-transmissive first conductive layer having first and second surfaces, the first surface of the first conductive layer proximate a first surface of the multilayer optical film;

c) a visible light-emitting layer comprising electroluminescent material, the light-emitting layer having first and second surfaces, the first surface of the visible light-emitting layer proximate the second surface of the first conductive layer;

d) a second conductive layer having first and second surfaces, the first surface of the second conductive layer proximate the second surface of the light-emitting layer; and

e) a back reflector having first and second surfaces, the first surface of the back reflector proximate the second surface of the second conductive layer, wherein the back reflector comprises a multilayer optical film that reflects at least about 90% of all normally incident visible light and at least about 80% of all visible light incident on the back reflector at an angle of 60 degrees from normal.

16. An electroluminescent lamp comprising:

a) a visible light transmissive layer comprising a multilayer optical film, the multilayer optical film comprising;

1) a first layer comprising an oriented birefringent, the first layer having an average thickness of not more than about 0.5 microns; and

2) a second layer of a selected polymer, each second layer having an average thickness of not more than 0.5 microns;

b) a visible light-transmissive first conductive layer having first and second surfaces, the first surface of the first conductive layer proximate a first surface of the multilayer optical film;

c) a visible light-emitting layer comprising electroluminescent material, the light-emitting layer having first and second surfaces, the first surface of the light-emitting layer proximate the second surface of the first conductive layer; and

d) a second conductive layer having first and second surfaces, the first surface of the second conductive layer proximate the second surface of the light-emitting layer.

17. An electroluminescent lamp according to claim 16, wherein the first layer of the multilayer optical film comprises a crystalline naphthalene dicarboxylic acid polyester.

18. An electroluminescent lamp according to claim 16, wherein the oriented birefringent first layer is more birefringent than the second polymer.

19. An electroluminescent lamp according to claim 16, wherein the multilayer optical film further comprises a plurality of first and second layers, wherein one of the second layers is located between each adjacent pair of first layers.

20. An electroluminescent lamp according to claim 16, wherein the multilayer optical film comprises at least fifty of each of the first and second layers.

21. An electroluminescent lamp according to claim 16, further comprising a back reflector having first and second surfaces, the first surface of the back reflector proximate the second surface of the second conductive layer, wherein the back reflector comprises a reflective multilayer optical film comprising:

1) a first layer comprising a biaxially oriented birefringent, the first layer having an average thickness of not more than about 0.5 microns; and

2) a second layer of a selected polymer, each second layer having an average thickness of not more than 0.5 microns.

22. An electroluminescent lamp according to claim 21, wherein the biaxially oriented birefringent first layer is more birefringent than the selected polymer of the second layer of the reflective multilayer optical film.