US2006262567A1PendingUtilityA1

Light emitting panel assemblies

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Assignee: SOLID STATE OPTO LTDPriority: Jun 27, 1995Filed: Jul 27, 2006Published: Nov 23, 2006
Est. expiryJun 27, 2015(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Jeffery R. Parker
F21V 5/10G02B 6/002G02B 6/0036A61N 2005/063G02B 6/0028G02B 6/0021G02B 6/0061A61N 5/0621A61N 2005/0652G02B 6/006A61M 21/02G02B 6/0018G02B 6/0038A61M 2021/0044H01H 2221/07A61B 2090/309G02B 6/0043H01H 2219/062G02B 6/0031G02B 6/0068Y10S362/80Y10S362/804G09F 13/00
54
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Claims

Abstract

Light emitting panel assemblies include a panel member having a sheet or film with light extracting deformities attached or otherwise positioned against the panel member. The light extracting deformities are configured to cause light entering the panel member to be emitted from at least one output region of the panel member. A pattern of light extracting deformities may also be provided on or in at least one side of the panel member.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A light emitting panel assembly comprising, 
 an optical panel member having a greater cross-sectional width than thickness and at least one input edge for receiving light from a light source, and at least one sheet or film overlying at least one side of the panel member, the sheet or film having light extracting deformities configured to cause light to be emitted from at least one output region of the panel member.    
   
   
       2 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the sheet or film is used to apply the deformities to the panel member.  
   
   
       3 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the sheet or film is attached or otherwise positioned against the one side of the panel member.  
   
   
       4 . The assembly of  claim 3  wherein another sheet or film is attached or otherwise positioned against the other side of the panel member.  
   
   
       5 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the deformities vary along the length of the output region.  
   
   
       6 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the deformities vary along the width of the output region.  
   
   
       7 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the deformities vary along the width and length of the output region.  
   
   
       8 . The assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a film, sheet or substrate overlying the one sheet or film for redirecting the light emitted from the output region to suit a particular application.  
   
   
       9 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein at least some of the deformities vary in at least one of the following characteristics: density, opaqueness or translucence, shape, depth, color, area, index of refraction, or type of deformities to control the light output.  
   
   
       10 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein at least some of the deformities vary randomly in at least one of the following characteristics: density, opaqueness or translucence, shape, depth, color, area, index of refraction, or type of deformities to control the light output.  
   
   
       11 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the deformities are on a side of the sheet or film closest to the panel member.  
   
   
       12 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the deformities are on a side of the sheet or film farthest from the panel member.  
   
   
       13 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the sheet or film has deformities of well defined shape that redirect light to fit a particular application.  
   
   
       14 . The assembly of  claim 1  where there are deformities on both sides of the sheet or film.  
   
   
       15 . The assembly of  claim 14  wherein at least some of the deformities on a side of the sheet or film closest to the panel member are different from the deformities on a side of the sheet or film farthest from the panel member.  
   
   
       16 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the sheet or film is adhesively attached to the panel member.  
   
   
       17 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the sheet or film is attached to the panel member with paint or a coating.  
   
   
       18 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the sheet or film is attached so as to cause light to be extracted from the panel member.  
   
   
       19 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the deformities are a painted pattern, an etched pattern, a machined pattern, a printed pattern, a hot stamped pattern or a molded pattern on at least one side of the sheet or film.  
   
   
       20 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the deformities are a paint, ink or coating on at least one side of the sheet or film.  
   
   
       21 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the sheet or film has a paint, ink or coating on a side opposite the deformities.  
   
   
       22 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the sheet or film has a paint, ink or coating on the same side or sides as the deformities.  
   
   
       23 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the sheet or film has multiple layers.  
   
   
       24 . The assembly of  claim 23  wherein at least one of the layers has a different index of refraction than at least one other layer.  
   
   
       25 . The assembly of  claim 23  wherein the index of refraction of at least one of the layers varies.  
   
   
       26 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the index of refraction of the sheet or film varies.  
   
   
       27 . The assembly of  claim 1  which has at least one layer that has deformities of well defined shape that redirect light to fit a particular application.  
   
   
       28 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the deformities vary in position on the sheet or film.  
   
   
       29 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the deformities vary in position randomly on the sheet or film.  
   
   
       30 . A light emitting panel assembly comprising, 
 a panel member and a sheet or film with light extracting deformities, the deformities being a change in the shape or geometry of a surface of the sheet or film or a coating or surface treatment,    the sheet or film being attached to the panel member so as to produce a desired effect.    
   
   
       31 . The assembly of  claim 30  wherein the deformities on the sheet or film cause light to be emitted from the panel member.  
   
   
       32 . A multi-layer light emitting panel assembly comprising, 
 a panel member having a greater cross-sectional width than thickness and at least one input edge for receiving light from a light source, and    at least one layer having a pattern of light extracting deformities attached or otherwise positioned against the panel member,    the light extracting deformities being configured to cause light to be emitted from at least one output region of the panel member.    
   
   
       33 . A multi-layer light emitting panel assembly comprising, 
 an optical panel member having a greater cross-sectional width than thickness and at least one input edge for receiving light from a light source, an adhesive or coating layer and a sheet or film layer having a pattern of light extracting deformities configured to cause light to be emitted from at least one output region of the panel member.    
   
   
       34 . The assembly of  claim 33  wherein the deformities are the adhesive or coating layer.  
   
   
       35 . A light emitting panel assembly comprising, 
 an optical panel member having at least one input edge for receiving light from a light source and a pattern of light extracting deformities on or in at least one side of the panel member; at least one sheet or film overlying at least one side of the panel member and attached to the panel member, the sheet or film having light extracting deformities configured to cause light to be emitted from at least one output region of the panel member, and the light extracting deformities on the panel member are configured to cause the light output distribution from the panel assembly to be generally uniform.    
   
   
       36 . The assembly of  claim 35  wherein the sheet or film has deformities of well defined shape that redirect light to fit a particular application.  
   
   
       37 . A light emitting panel assembly comprising, 
 an optical panel member having at least one input edge for receiving light from a light source and a pattern of light extracting deformities on or in at least one side of the panel member; at least one sheet or film having optical deformities overlying at least one side of the panel member and attached to the panel member, and an adhesive or coating, wherein at least one of the panel member, the sheet or film, and the adhesive or coating has a different index of refraction.    
   
   
       38 . The assembly of  claim 37  wherein the adhesive or coating covers an entire light output area of the panel member.  
   
   
       39 . The assembly of  claim 37  wherein the adhesive or coating covers selective areas of the panel member.  
   
   
       40 . The assembly of  claim 37  wherein the adhesive or coating covers an area of the panel member between the optical deformities on the sheet or film.  
   
   
       41 . The assembly of  claim 37  wherein the sheet or film has deformities of well defined shape that redirect light to fit a particular application.

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