US2011134362A1PendingUtilityA1

Light redirecting films and film systems

56
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Feb 23, 1999Filed: Feb 18, 2011Published: Jun 9, 2011
Est. expiryFeb 23, 2019(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Jeffery R. ParkerTimothy A. MccollumRobert M. Ezell
F21V 5/10A61N 2005/063G02B 6/006G02B 6/0065G02B 6/0018A61B 2090/309G02B 6/0036H01H 2221/07G02B 6/002G02B 6/0043G02B 6/0031G02B 6/0053G02B 6/0061G02B 6/0038H01H 2219/062G02B 6/0068A61N 5/0621G02B 6/0028A61M 2021/0044G02B 6/0021A61N 2005/0652F21V 5/00A61M 21/02F21V 11/00
56
PatentIndex Score
0
Cited by
0
References
0
Claims

Abstract

An optical assembly comprises a light emitting panel having a light output surface and a light redirecting film located to receive light emitted from the light output surface. The light output surface has a non-uniform directional light output distribution. The light redirecting film has a pattern of individual optical elements of well defined shape that vary at different locations on the light redirecting film to redistribute the light received from the light output surface within a desired light ray angle distribution.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . An optical assembly, comprising:
 a light emitting assembly comprising a light emitting panel and a light source optically coupled to the light emitting panel, the light emitting panel having a light output surface that has a non-uniform directional light output distribution; and   a light redirecting film located to receive light emitted from the light output surface, the light redirecting film having a pattern of individual optical elements of well defined shape that vary at different locations on the light redirecting film to redistribute the light received from the light output surface within a desired light ray angle distribution.   
     
     
         2 . The optical assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the light emitting panel is curved. 
     
     
         3 . The optical assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the individual optical elements overlap each other in a staggered, interlocked, or intersecting configuration. 
     
     
         4 . The optical assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the pattern of individual optical elements substantially covers an entire surface of the light redirecting film that receives light emitted from the light output surface. 
     
     
         5 . The optical assembly of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the individual optical elements are non-prismatic optical elements, each of the non-prismatic optical elements having a total of two surfaces, the two surfaces intersecting each other. 
     
     
         6 . The optical assembly of  claim 5 , wherein one of the two surfaces is a curved surface and another of the two surfaces is a planar or flat surface. 
     
     
         7 . The optical assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the curved surface has a curvature that varies at different locations on the light redirecting film. 
     
     
         8 . The optical assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the curved surface and the planar or flat surface have respective areas, the respective areas having a ratio that varies at different locations on the light redirecting film. 
     
     
         9 . The optical assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the two surfaces are curved surfaces. 
     
     
         10 . The optical assembly of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the individual optical elements is a non-prismatic optical element having two or more surfaces, at least two surfaces of the two or more surfaces intersecting a surface of the light redirecting film. 
     
     
         11 . The optical assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the individual optical elements are randomized in slope angle, size, shape, height, depth, or density. 
     
     
         12 . The optical assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the individual optical elements are oriented at different angles relative to each other such that the light redirecting film redirects the light along two axes. 
     
     
         13 . A display device comprising a liquid crystal display panel and the optical assembly of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         14 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the light redirecting film has a repeating pattern of the individual optical elements. 
     
     
         15 . The optical assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the individual optical elements are arranged in groupings, at least some of the optical elements in each of the groupings having a sloping surface of a different characteristic that collectively produce an average characteristic for each of the groupings that varies across the light redirecting film, wherein the characteristic of the sloping surface is selected from the following group: depth, height, size, shape, slope angle, and length or width. 
     
     
         16 . The assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the light redirecting film has a repeating pattern of the groupings. 
     
     
         17 . The optical assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the individual optical elements in at least one of the groupings are randomized in slope angle, size, shape, height, depth or density. 
     
     
         18 . An optical assembly, comprising
 a light emitting assembly comprising a light emitting panel and a light source optically coupled to the light emitting panel, the light emitting panel having a light output surface that emits light at relatively low angles from the light output surface; and   a light redirecting film located to receive the light emitted from the light output surface, the light redirecting film having a pattern of individual optical elements of well defined shape that vary at different locations on the light redirecting film to redistribute the relatively low angle light received from the light output surface to relatively higher angles to suit a given application.   
     
     
         19 . The optical assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the light emitting panel is curved. 
     
     
         20 . The optical assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the individual optical elements overlap each other in a staggered, interlocked, or intersecting configuration. 
     
     
         21 . The optical assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the pattern of individual optical elements substantially covers an entire surface of the light redirecting film that receives light emitted from the light output surface. 
     
     
         22 . The optical assembly of  claim 18 , wherein a plurality of the individual optical elements are non-prismatic optical elements, each of the non-prismatic optical elements having a total of two surfaces, the two surfaces intersecting each other. 
     
     
         23 . The optical assembly of  claim 22 , wherein one of the two surfaces is a curved surface and another of the two surfaces is a planar or flat surface. 
     
     
         24 . The optical assembly of  claim 23 , wherein the curved surface has a curved surface that varies at different locations on the light redirecting film. 
     
     
         25 . The optical assembly of  claim 23 , wherein the curved surface and the planar or flat surface have respective areas, the respective areas having a ratio that varies at different locations on the light redirecting film. 
     
     
         26 . The optical assembly of  claim 22 , wherein the two surfaces are curved surfaces. 
     
     
         27 . The optical assembly of  claim 18 , wherein at least one of the individual optical elements is a non-prismatic optical element having a total of two or more surfaces, at least two of the surfaces of the non-prismatic optical element intersecting a surface of the light redirecting film. 
     
     
         28 . The optical assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the individual optical elements are randomized in slope angle, size, shape, height, depth, or density. 
     
     
         29 . The optical assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the individual optical elements are oriented at different angles relative to each other such that the light redirecting film redirects the light along two axes. 
     
     
         30 . A display device comprising a liquid crystal display panel and the optical assembly of  claim 18 . 
     
     
         31 . The assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the light redirecting film has a repeating pattern of the individual optical elements. 
     
     
         32 . The optical assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the individual optical elements are arranged in groupings, at least some of the optical elements in each of the groupings having a sloping surface of a different characteristic that collectively produce an average characteristic for each of the groupings that varies across the light redirecting film, wherein the characteristic of the sloping surfaces is selected from the following group: depth, height, size, shape, slope angle, and length or width. 
     
     
         33 . The assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the light redirecting film has a repeating pattern of the groupings. 
     
     
         34 . The optical assembly of  claim 32 , wherein the individual optical elements in at least one of the groupings are randomized in slope angle, size, shape, height, depth or density.

Join the waitlist — get patent alerts

Track US2011134362A1 — get alerts on status changes and closely related new filings.

We store only your email — no account needed. See our privacy policy.