Film-based lightguide with interior light directing edges and lateral reflections

A light emitting device comprising:

• a light source;
• a film-based lightguide comprising a film including a body having lateral edges opposing each other in a width direction, a first surface, and a second surface opposing the first surface in a thickness direction of the film orthogonal to the width direction;
• a light emitting region of the film defined by a plurality of light extracting features;
• an array of at least 10 coupling lightguide strips extending from the body of the film and arrayed in an array direction with their ends defining light input edges, the light input edges are between lateral edges of the coupling lightguide strips and positioned to receive light emitted from the light source;
• and a light mixing region of the film positioned along the film between the array of at least 10 of coupling lightguide strips and the light emitting region, the light mixing region comprising an array of interior light directing edges formed as curved cuts in the film, the array of interior light directing edges are arrayed in a direction parallel to the array direction of the array of at least 10 coupling lightguide strips and positioned between the lateral edges of the body of the film, wherein light emitted from the light source propagates through separate paths within the array of at least 10 coupling lightguide strips, and a plurality of interior light directing edges of the array of interior light directing edges each receive and redirect light output from two of the coupling lightguide strips.

A light emitting device comprising:

• a film including a body having lateral edges opposing each other in a width direction, a first surface, and a second surface opposing the first surface in a thickness direction of the film orthogonal to the width direction;
• a light emitting region of the film defined by a plurality of light extracting features;
• an array of coupling lightguide strips extending from the body of the film and arrayed in an array direction with their ends defining light input edges, the light input edges are between lateral edges of the coupling lightguide strips, and each of the coupling lightguide strips are folded such that the light input edges are stacked to form a light input surface;
• at least one light source positioned to emit a first light flux into the light input surface such that it propagates by total internal reflection in the coupling lightguide strips;
• and a light mixing region of the film positioned along the film between the array of coupling lightguide strips and the light emitting region, the light mixing region comprising and a plurality of interior light directing edges formed as curved cuts in the film, the interior light directing edges positioned between the lateral edges of the body of the film, wherein light emitted from the at least one light source propagates through separate paths within the array of coupling lightguide strips, and the plurality of interior light directing edges each receive and redirect light output from two adjacent coupling lightguide strips of the array of coupling lightguide strips.