Illumination device

1. A device for providing illumination comprising:

a panel having at least one rigid layer, the at least one rigid layer having at least one patterned electrical circuit thereon;

an array of illuminating units, each unit being formed by at least one rigid element and a portion of the at least one rigid layer, each unit including:

a rigid optical redirecting element secured to the at least one rigid layer for redirecting light out of the unit,

a light source secured to the at least one rigid layer and sandwiched within the panel for converting electrical energy into light, and

an electrical conductor in electrical communication with the light source to transmit electrical energy thereto, the electrical conductor being in thermal communication with the light source to receive thermal energy therefrom, the electrical conductor being a heat sink for the light source, the light source being cooled via conduction, a pattern of the electrical conductor defining a plurality of gaps;

the electrical conductor and the optical redirecting element of each unit being dimensioned and arranged within the unit such that the electrical conductor does not materially impede transmission of light generated by the light source from within the unit to out of the unit, light generated by the light source being redirected by the optical redirecting element toward at least one of the plurality of gaps, the redirected light diverging from the optical redirecting element, the diverging light subsequently passing through at least one of the plurality of gaps;

the electrical conductor being at least electrically and thermally interconnected with the patterned circuit to transmit electrical energy to the light source and to receive thermal energy from the light source for transmission away from the unit.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the light source of each unit is sandwiched between the at least one rigid layer and the rigid optical redirecting element of that unit.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the optical redirecting element of each unit is a series of concentric annular optical redirecting elements.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the rigid optical redirecting elements of multiple units are all part of a single rigid layer distinct from the at least one rigid layer having the at least one patterned electrical circuit thereon.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the electrical conductor and the optical redirecting element of each unit are dimensioned and arranged within the unit such that the electrical conductor impedes transmission of no more than 20% of the light generated by the light source within the unit to out of the unit.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein

each unit of the array further includes a rigid optical dispersing element secured to the at least one rigid layer for receiving light redirected within the unit by the optical redirecting element; and

the electrical conductor, the optical redirecting element, and the optical dispersing element of each unit are dimensioned and arranged within the unit such that the electrical conductor does not materially impede transmission of light generated by the light source within the unit to outside the unit.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the light source of each unit is sandwiched between the at least one rigid layer and the rigid optical dispersing element of that unit.

8. The device of claim 6 , wherein the optical dispersing element of each unit is a series of optical dispersing elements.

9. The device of claim 6 , wherein:

the optical redirecting element of each unit is a series of optical redirecting elements; and

the optical dispersing element of each unit is a series of optical dispersing elements.

10. The device of claim 6 , wherein:

the optical redirecting element of each unit is a series of concentric annular optical redirecting elements; and

the optical dispersing element of each unit is a series of concentric annular optical dispersing elements.

11. The device of claim 6 , wherein the rigid optical redirecting element of each unit redirects light from a light guide for transmission to the rigid optical dispersing element of that unit.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the light guide has a secondary optical element for redirecting light within the light guide.

13. The device of claim 6 , wherein:

the optical redirecting element is an optical reflecting element; and

the optical dispersing element is an optical refracting element.

14. The device of claim 6 , wherein the electrical conductor, the optical redirecting element, and the optical dispersing element of each unit are dimensioned and arranged within the unit such that the electrical conductor impedes transmission of not more than 20% of light generated by the light source within the unit to out of the unit.

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the light source is at least partially encased in a thermal insulator.

16. The device of claim 1 , wherein:

the electrical conductor comprises at least one arm;

at least one of the plurality of gaps defined by the pattern of the electrical conductor is located on each side of the at least one arm; and

substantially no light being redirected by the plurality of redirecting elements is received by the at least one arm.

17. The device of claim 1 , wherein the pattern of the electrical conductor includes:

at least one heat spreader portion for conducting heat away from the light source, the at least one heat spreader including:

at least one electrical trace in electrical communication with the light source to transmit electrical energy thereto, and

a plurality of arms extending from the at least one electrical trace, at least one of the plurality of gaps being defined by at least two of the plurality of arms; and

wherein a portion of light being redirected by the series of optical redirecting elements passes through the at least one of the plurality of gaps.

18. A device for providing illumination comprising:

a panel having a plurality of rigid layers bonded together;

an array of illuminating units formed by the plurality of layers of the panel, each one of the array of illuminating units including:

a series of optical dispersing elements associated with a first surface of one of the layers of the plurality of layers for dispersing light outside the unit;

a series of optical redirecting elements associated with a second surface of one of the layers of the plurality of layers for redirecting light within the unit to the optical dispersing elements;

a light source sandwiched between two of the layers of the plurality of layers for converting electrical energy into light;

one of the layers of the plurality of layers having an electrical conductor in electrical communication with the light source to transmit electrical energy thereto, the electrical conductor being in thermal communication with the light source to receive thermal energy therefrom, the electrical conductor being a heat sink for the light source, the light source being cooled via conduction, a pattern of the electrical conductor defining a plurality of gaps;

the electrical conductor, the series of optical dispersing elements and the series of optical redirecting elements being dimensioned and arranged within the unit such that the electrical conductor does not materially impede transmission of light generated by the light source within the unit to out of the unit, light generated by the light source being redirected by at least one of the series of optical redirecting elements toward at least one of the plurality of gaps, the redirected light diverging from the optical redirecting element, the diverging light subsequently passing through at least one of the plurality of gaps;

one of the layers of the plurality of layers having a patterned circuit electrically and thermally interconnected with light source of at least some of the units to transmit electrical energy thereto and to receive thermal energy therefrom for transmission away from the units.

19. The device of claim 18 , wherein:

the series of optical dispersing elements are formed on the first surface; and

the series of optical redirecting elements are formed on the second surface.

20. The device of claim 18 , wherein the electrical conductor, the optical dispersing element, and the optical redirecting element of each unit are dimensioned and arranged within the unit such that the electrical conductor impedes transmission of not more than 20% of the light generated by the light source within the unit to out of the unit.