Light emitting panel assemblies
View Patent ↗Light emitting panel assembly comprises a light emitting panel member and a light source. At least one surface of the panel member has a pattern of light extracting deformities formed by applying the deformities to the panel member and afterward permanently attaching the deformities to the panel member to become part of the assembly.
1. A light emitting panel assembly comprising a light emitting panel member and a plurality of LED light sources,
wherein the panel member comprises a first major surface, a second major surface opposite the first major surface, and a light input surface, and at least one of the major surfaces has a light emitting surface,
wherein a pattern of light extracting deformities is on or in at least one of the major surfaces for causing light to be emitted from the light emitting surface,
wherein the panel member has a light transition area between the light input surface and the light sources,
wherein the light sources are optically coupled to the transition area such that light emitted from the light sources mixes in the transition area and is transmitted by the transition area to the panel member through the light input surface, and
wherein the transition area has refractive surfaces in close proximity to each of the light sources for changing the light output ray angle distribution of the light sources to a greater extent in a plane substantially parallel to the light emitting surface.
2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the pattern of deformities is a printed pattern, an ink-jet printed pattern, a painted pattern, an etched pattern, a machined pattern, a hot stamped pattern, a molded pattern, a stamped pattern, and/or a thermoformed pattern.
3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least two of the deformities have an index of refraction that is different from each other.
4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the panel member is curved.
5. The assembly of claim 4 , wherein the panel member is three-dimensionally curved.
6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the deformities have a random placement pattern.
7. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the panel member has multiple light output areas.
8. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the panel member is multiple layers.
9. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the pattern of deformities is multiple layers.
10. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the assembly is modular.
11. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the pattern of deformities is formed by applying the deformities to the panel member and afterward permanently attaching the deformities to the panel member to become part of the assembly.
12. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the pattern of deformities is formed on a sheet or film which is used to apply the deformities to the panel member.
13. The assembly of claim 12 , wherein the sheet or film becomes a permanent part of the panel member.
14. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising at least one slot, cavity or hole in at least one of the major surfaces of the panel member that at least partially defines the light input surface.
15. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the pattern of deformities varies to cause a desired light distribution to be emitted from a plurality of specific surface areas of at least one of the major surfaces.
16. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the panel member comprises multiple layers made of at least some different materials having different indices of refraction.
17. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the panel member has a locating feature to position the panel member relative to a control button, the light sources or other component.
18. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the light sources are configured to generate light having an output distribution defined by a greater width component than height component, the height component of the light sources corresponding to a thickness direction of the panel member.
19. A display device comprising the assembly of claim 1 and a liquid crystal display panel.
20. The assembly of claim 1 , additionally comprising a tray that holds the panel member and the light sources, the tray having a reflective surface that reflects light that would otherwise escape from the panel member.
21. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the deformities vary in at least one of the following characteristics: shape, depth, height, density, opaqueness, size, slope angle, and orientation.
22. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the light sources are different colored LEDs.
23. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the deformities vary along the width of the panel member.
24. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the deformities are configured to cause light to be emitted from the first major surface with a predetermined light ray angle distribution, and an optical film or sheet overlies the first major surface.
25. The assembly of claim 24 , wherein there is a pattern of light extracting deformities on or in the first major surface and the second major surface, the light extracting deformities on or in the first major surface being different from the light extracting deformities on or in the second major surface.
26. The assembly of claim 24 , wherein the film or sheet has a pattern of deformities on one side of the film or sheet, the deformities on the film or sheet vary in refractive index at different locations on the film or sheet.
27. The assembly of claim 24 , wherein the film or sheet comprises multiple layers.
28. The assembly of claim 24 , wherein the film or sheet comprises multiple materials.
29. The assembly of claim 24 , wherein there is an air gap between the panel member and the film or sheet, the film or sheet has a pattern of deformities on one side of the film or sheet, the deformities on the film or sheet have a width and length that is quite small in relation to a width and length of the film or sheet, and the deformities on the film or sheet vary at different locations on the film or sheet to direct the light emitted by the first major surface of the panel member in different directions to produce a desired light output distribution.