Method of making suspended lighting fixtures using optical waveguides

A method of making suspended lighting fixtures, comprising:

• providing a first flexible sheet of an optically transmissive material having a generally uniform thickness, a first major surface, an opposing second major surface, and a first edge having a first light input surface extending perpendicular to the first and second major surfaces;
• providing a second flexible sheet of an optically transmissive material having a generally uniform thickness, a third major surface, an opposing fourth major surface, and a second edge having a second light input surface extending perpendicular to the third and fourth major surfaces;
• providing a first LED strip;
• providing a second LED strip;
• providing a linear heat-dissipating structure having a first channel and a second channel facing generally away from the first channel;
• positioning the first LED strip within the first channel;
• attaching the first LED strip to a body of the linear heat-dissipating structure with a good thermal contact;
• positioning the second LED strip within the second channel;
• attaching the second LED strip to the body of the linear heat-dissipating structure with a good thermal contact;
• positioning the first edge within the first channel and in a proximity to the first LED strip;
• positioning the second edge within the second channel and in a proximity to the second LED strip;
• depositing a first plurality of light extraction structures on the first major surface according to a two-dimensional pattern;
• and
• depositing a second plurality of light extraction structures on the third major surface according to a two-dimensional pattern,
• wherein at least one of the light extraction structures has a variable thickness with a curved cross-sectional profile.

A method of making suspended lighting fixtures, comprising:

• providing a first flexible sheet of an optically transmissive material having a generally uniform thickness, a first major surface, an opposing second major surface, and a first edge having a first light input surface extending perpendicular to the first and second major surfaces;
• providing a second flexible sheet of an optically transmissive material having a generally uniform thickness, a third major surface, an opposing fourth major surface, and a second edge having a second light input surface extending perpendicular to the third and fourth major surfaces;
• providing a first LED strip;
• providing a second LED strip;
• providing a linear heat-dissipating structure having a first channel and a second channel facing generally away from the first channel;
• positioning the first LED strip within the first channel;
• attaching the first LED strip to a body of the linear heat-dissipating structure with a good thermal contact;
• positioning the second LED strip within the second channel;
• attaching the second LED strip to the body of the linear heat-dissipating structure with a good thermal contact;
• positioning the first edge within the first channel and in a proximity to the first LED strip;
• positioning the second edge within the second channel and in a proximity to the second LED strip;
• depositing a first plurality of light extraction structures on the first major surface according to a two-dimensional pattern;
• and
• depositing a second plurality of light extraction structures on the third major surface according to a two-dimensional pattern,
• wherein at least one of the light extraction structures has a rounded shape, and
• wherein a thickness of a central portion of the at least one of the light extraction structures is greater than a thickness of a peripheral portion of the at least one of the light extraction structures.

A method of making suspended lighting fixtures, comprising:

• providing a first flexible sheet of an optically transmissive material having a generally uniform thickness, a first major surface, an opposing second major surface, and a first edge having a first light input surface extending perpendicular to the first and second major surfaces;
• providing a second flexible sheet of an optically transmissive material having a generally uniform thickness, a third major surface, an opposing fourth major surface, and a second edge having a second light input surface extending perpendicular to the third and fourth major surfaces;
• providing a first LED strip;
• providing a second LED strip;
• providing a linear heat-dissipating structure having a first channel and a second channel facing generally away from the first channel;
• positioning the first LED strip within the first channel;
• attaching the first LED strip to a body of the linear heat-dissipating structure with a good thermal contact;
• positioning the second LED strip within the second channel;
• attaching the second LED strip to the body of the linear heat-dissipating structure with a good thermal contact;
• positioning the first edge within the first channel and in a proximity to the first LED strip;
• positioning the second edge within the second channel and in a proximity to the second LED strip;
• depositing a first plurality of light extraction structures on the first major surface according to a two-dimensional pattern;
• and
• depositing a second plurality of light extraction structures on the third major surface according to a two-dimensional pattern,
• wherein at least one of the light extraction structures has a rounded shape with a total volume between 10000 cubic micrometers and 100000 cubic micrometers.