Flat panel illumination system
OwnerMaurice Danielinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The first panel illumination system includes a high intensity light source with a contoured reflector assembly for providing light to the input of an optical mixer and heat removal device. The optical mixer and heat removal device removes infrared radiation and transmits de-focused light to the input ends of a plurality of rectangular couplers connected to light conducting cables which are in turn connected to the light emitting optical fibers for a light emitting panel. These fibers are woven in accordance with specific weave ratio ranges and weave configurations to emit light uniformly across the extent of a light emitting fabric surface.
Claims50
A flat panel illumination system comprising light source means, light conducting cable means to conduct light from said light source means;
- and light emitting panel means connected to receive light conducted by said light conducting cable means, said light emitting panel means including a light emitting fabric means woven from light conducting fiber means, said light conducting fiber means being formed of multi-mode optical light conducting fibers which emit light conducted thereby due to the bending of said light conducting fibers woven in said light emitting fabric means, said light conducting fiber means extending in unwoven form outwardly from at least a first side of said light emitting fabric means, said light conducting fiber means being woven with spaced fill threads to form said light emitting fabric means, the spacing between said fill threads in said light emitting fabric means being progressively decreased as the distance from said first side increases.
A flat panel illumination system comprising a plurality of elongate light conducting fiber means, and a plurality of elongate fill fiber means, said elongate light conducting fiber means being woven with said fill fiber means to form a light emitting fabric means, said light conducting fiber means extending outwardly beyond at least a first side of said light emitting fabric means and being formed by multi-mode optical light conducting fibers which emit light conducted thereby due to the bending of the light conducting fibers woven into said light emitting fabric means, said light emitting fabric means being woven with an unbalanced weave wherein the spacing between said fill threads in said light emitting fabric is progressively decreased as the distance from said first side increases.
A flat panel illumination system comprising a plurality of elongate light conducting fiber means, and a plurality of elongate fill fiber means, said elongate light conducting fiber means being woven with said fill fiber means to form a light emitting fabric means, said light conducting fiber means extending outwardly beyond at least a first side of said light emitting fabric means and being formed by multi-mode optical light conducting fibers which emit light conducted thereby due to the bending of the light conducting fibers woven into said light emitting fabric means, said light emitting fabric means being woven with an unbalanced weave, the diameter of said fill threads being progressively increased as the distance from said first side increases.
A flat panel illumination system comprising a plurality of elongate light conducting fiber means, and a plurality of elongate fill fiber means, said elongate light conducting fiber means being woven with said fill fiber means to form a light emitting fabric means, said light conducting fiber means extending outwardly beyond at least a first side of said light emitting fabric means and being formed by multi-mode optical light conducting fibers which emit light conducted thereby due to the bending of the light conducting fibers woven into said light emitting fabric means, said light emitting fabric means being woven with an unbalanced weave, and reflector means mounted in spaced relationship to said light emitting fabric means and extending in substantially spaced, parallel relationship thereto,s aid reflector means having a corrugated reflective surface facing said light emitting fabric means, the corrugated surface having a plurality of grooves extending substantially parallel to said fill fiber means.
A flat panel illumination system comprising light source means, light conducting cable means to conduct light from said light source means;
- and light emitting panel means connected to receive light conducted by said light conducting cable means, said light emitting panel means including a light emitting fabric means woven from light conducting fiber means, said light conducting fibers means being formed of multi-mode optical light conducting fibers which emit light conducted thereby due to the bending of said light conducting fibers woven in said light emitting fabric means, said light conducting fiber means extending in unwoven form outwardly from at least a first side of said light emitting fabric means, said light conducting fiber means being woven with spaced fill threads to form said light emitting fabric means, the diameter of said fill threads being progressively increased as the distance from said first side increases.
A flat panel illumination system comprising a light emitting panel, at least one elongate light conducting cable means having a first end connected to said light emitting panel and a second end remote from said light emitting panel, said light conducting cable means being substantially rectangular in cross section and including an elongated outer sheath having first and second substantially parallel spaced sidewalls and first and second substantially parallel spaced edgewalls extending between said sidewalls and substantially perpendicular thereto, the distance between said edgewalls being greater than the distance between said sidewalls and said sidewalls and edgewalls defining a longitudinally extending chamber, said outer sheath further including laterally extending flange means extending from at least one of said first and second edgewalls and projecting outwardly therefrom substantially parallel to said first and second sidewalls, and a plurality of elongate optical fibers enclosed in said central chamber.
A flat panel illumination system comprising a light emitting panel, at least one elongate light conducting cable means having a first end connected to said light emitting panel and a second end remote from said light emitting panel, said light conducting cable means including a cable sheath which defines a longitudinally extending chamber, a plurality of elongate light conducting optical fibers enclosed in said chamber, and a coupling means connected to one end of said light conducting cable means, said optical fibers extending beyond said chamber and cable sheath into said coupling means, said optical fibers being bonded together within said coupling means to form a unitary light conducting rod, each of said light conducting optical fibers including an outer cladding layer, said outer cladding layer being absent from the portions of said light conducting optical fibers which are bonded to form said unitary light conducting rod.
A flat panel illumination system comprising a plurality of elongate light conducting fiber means, and a plurality of elongate fill fiber means, said elongate light conducting fiber means being woven with said fill fiber means to form a light emitting fabric means, said light conducting fiber means extending outwardly beyond at least a first side of said light emitting fabric means and being formed by multi-mode optical light conducting fibers which emit light conducted thereby due to the bending of the light conducting fibers woven into said light emitting fabric means, said light emitting fabric means being woven with an unbalanced weave wherein the weave of said light conducting fiber means is progressively varied as the distance from said first side increases to cause said light conducting fiber means to progressively emit more light as said light conducting fiber means extend away from said first side to thereby cause a more uniform light emission from said light emitting fabric means.
A flat panel illumination system comprising a plurality of elongate light conducting fiber means, and a plurality of elongate fill fiber means, said elongate light conducting fiber means being woven with said fill fiber means to form a light emitting fabric means, said light conducting fiber means extending outwardly beyond at least a first side of said light emitting fabric means and being formed by multi-mode optical light conducting fibers which emit light conducted thereby due to the bending of the light conducting fibers woven into said light emitting fabric means, said light emitting fabric means being woven with an unbalanced weave, the woven light conducting fiber means for said light emitting fabric means in a first area adjacent to said first side of said light emitting fabric means emitting an intensity of light which differs from the light intensity emitted by said light conducting fiber means in a second area of said light emitting fabric means directly adjacent to said first area.
A flat panel illumination system comprising a light emitting fabric having first and second opposed light emitting surfaces bordered by one or more sides and including a plurality of woven elongate, light conducting fiber means which operate to emit light conducted thereby due to bending of the elongate light conducting fiber means during weaving, said light emitting fabric being formed from said elongate light conducting fiber means which extend in a first direction away from a first side of said light emitting fabric and a plurality of spaced elongate fill fiber means which extend traversely of said elongate light conducting fiber means, said elongate light conducting fiber means being woven with said elongate fill fiber means, the spacing between said fill fiber means being decreased as the distance from said first side increases, said light conducting fiber means extending outwardly in nonwoven form beyond at least said first side of said light emitting fabric to transmit light thereto, and reflector means positioned adjacent to said first light emitting surface and extending substantially parallel thereto, said reflector means having a light reflective surface facing light emitting fabric to reflect light toward said second light emitting surface.
A flat panel illumination system comprising a light emitting fabric having first and second opposed light emitting surfaces and including a plurality of woven elongate, light conducting fiber means which operate to emit light conducted thereby due to bending of the elongate light conducting fiber means during weaving, said light conducting fiber means extending outwardly in nonwoven form beyond at least a first side of said light emitting fabric to transmit light thereto, reflector means positioned adjacent to said first light emitting surface and extending substantially parallel thereto, said reflector means having a light reflective surface facing said light emitting fabric to reflect light toward said second light emitting surface, and light transmitting means positioned adjacent to said second light emitting surface and extending substantially parallel thereto for transmitting light outwardly from said light emitting fabric away from the second surface thereof, said light emitting fabric extending between said reflector means and said light transmitting means and being formed from said elongate light conducting fiber means which extend in a first direction away from the first side of said light emitting fabric and a plurality of spaced, elongate fill fiber means which extend traversely of said elongate light conducting fiber means, said elongate light conducting fiber means being woven with said elongate fill fiber means, the weave of said elongate light conducting fiber means and elongate fill fiber means being varied as the distance from said first side increases to cause said light conducting fiber means to emit more light in areas spaced a distance from said first side to thereby obtain a more uniform light emission from said light emitting fabric.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.