Light emitting panel assemblies

Abstract

Optical assembly includes a light emitting panel member having at least one light input area for receiving light from two or more different colored light sources. A pattern of individual optical deformities on or in at least one surface area of the panel member contains at least two different configurations of optical deformities to promote color mixing within the panel member and cause light of a preferred color to be emitted therefrom.

1 . An optical assembly comprising a light emitting panel member having at least one light input area for receiving light from at least two different colored light sources, and a pattern of individual optical deformities on or in at least one surface area of the panel member, wherein the pattern of optical deformities contains at least two different configurations of optical deformities to promote the mixing of color from the different colored light sources within the panel member and to cause light of a preferred color to be emitted from the panel member.  
   
   
       2 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the different configurations of optical deformities differ in shape.  
   
   
       3 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the different configurations of optical deformities differ in orientation.  
   
   
       4 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the different configurations of optical deformities differ in angle.  
   
   
       5 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the different configurations of optical deformities differ in index of refraction.  
   
   
       6 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the light sources are different colored LEDs.  
   
   
       7 . The assembly of  claim 6  wherein at least some of the LEDs are red, green, and blue LEDs.  
   
   
       8 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the light sources are LEDs with multiple different colored chips.  
   
   
       9 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the preferred color is white.  
   
   
       10 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the optical deformities vary in at least one of the following characteristics: size, shape, placement, index of refraction, density, angle, depth, height and type.  
   
   
       11 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the pattern of optical deformities are on or in at least two surface areas of the panel member.  
   
   
       12 . The assembly of  claim 11  wherein one of the surface areas contains at least one light input area.  
   
   
       13 . The assembly of  claim 12  wherein the one surface area that contains at least the one light input area has a different configuration of deformities than the at least one other surface area of the panel member.