Self-luminous lighting system
AssigneeAmerican Atomics Corporation
InventorMarshall W. McCoy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An elongated light-diffusive body having a trapezoidal cross-section encapsulates an axially elongated self-luminous light source. The body has a wide base, a narrow base, and slanted sides between the bases. Opening to its narrow base, the body has a longitudinal slot in which the light source fits. A substantially total reflector extends around the slanted sides and the narrow base, including the exposed portion of the light source, to reflect all the light toward the wide base. Distribution of the light emitted from the tube is changed as it leaves the wide base by a partially transmissive coating on the portion of the wide base through which light rays from the tube pass normal to the wide base.
Claims16
A self-luminous lighting system comprising:
- an elongated sealed glass tube filled with a radioactive material;
- a phosphor in the tube, the phosphor emitting light from the tube responsive to the radioactive material;
- an elongated light diffusive body encapsulating the tube, one portion of the side surface of the body forming a front face wider than the tube;
- a substantially total reflector extending around the entire side surface of the body except for the front face to reflect the light emitted from the tube toward the front face;
- and
- means for changing the distribution of the light emitted from the tube as it leaves the front face.
A self-luminous lighting system comprising:
- an elongated self-luminous light source having two wide side faces and two narrow side faces;
- a light-diffusing holder having a trapezoidal cross-section forming a wide base and a narrow base adjacent and approximately parallel to the wide side faces of the light source and slanted sides adjacent to the narrow side faces of the light source;
- a longitudinal slot formed in the holder opening to the narrow base, the light source fitting in the slot;
- a reflective coating on the slanted sides, the narrow base, and the portion of the light source exposed by the slot, so as to reflect light emitted from the light source toward the wide base;
- and
- a strip of partially light-transmissive material on the portion of the base through which light rays from the light source pass normal to the wide base.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.