# US 8,786,169 B2 · Anti-reflective coatings for light bulbs

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- Number: US 8,786,169 B2
- Document ID: US8786169B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/916,517
- Filed: 2013-06-12
- Published: 2013-11-07
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2008-08-18
- Assignees: Switch Bulb Company, Inc.
- Applicants: Switch Bulb Company, Inc.
- Inventors: Ronald J. Lenk
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8786169B2

## CPC

- F21V 3/12: the coatings comprising photoluminescent substances
- F21K 9/232: specially adapted for generating an essentially omnidirectional light distribution, e.g. with a glass bulb
- F21K 9/60: Optical arrangements integrated in the light source, e.g. for improving the colour rendering index or the light extraction
- F21V 3/00: Globes; Bowls; Cover glasses (with refracting properties F21V5/00; with reflecting properties F21V7/00; characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/506)
- F21V 29/58: characterised by the coolants
- H01J 61/35: provided with coatings on the walls thereof; Selection of materials for the coatings (using coloured coatings H01J61/40; using luminescent coatings H01J61/42)
- H01K 1/325: {Reflecting coating}
- F21Y 2115/10: Light-emitting diodes [LED]
- F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F21K: NON-ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES USING LUMINESCENCE; LIGHT SOURCES USING ELECTROCHEMILUMINESCENCE; LIGHT SOURCES USING CHARGES OF COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL; LIGHT SOURCES USING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES AS LIGHT-GENERATING ELEMENTS; LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- H01K: ELECTRIC INCANDESCENT LAMPS (details, apparatus or processes for manufacture applicable to both discharge devices and incandescent lamps H01J; light sources using a combination of incandescent and other types of light generation H01J61/96, H05B35/00)
- F21Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED

## Abstract

A light bulb having anti-reflective coatings on an inner surface and/or an outer surface of the shell of the light bulb. The anti-reflective coatings reduce light loss due to reflections at the interfaces between the interior of the bulb and the shell and between the shell and the exterior of the bulb. The light source may be either incandescent, fluorescent or LED.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An LED bulb comprising:
one or more LEDs;
a shell surrounding said one or more LEDs, wherein the shell has a shell index of refraction;
a liquid inside the shell, the liquid in contact with the one or more LEDs and the shell;
an anti-reflective coating on an inner surface of the shell, wherein the anti-reflective coating has an inner surface index of refraction, and
wherein the shell index of refraction and the inner surface index of refraction in combination matches an index of refraction of the liquid in the visible light spectrum.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The LED bulb as set forth in claim 1, wherein the one or more LEDs and the shell surrounding the one or more LEDs form a cavity, and the liquid partially fills the cavity.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The LED bulb as set forth in claim 1, wherein the shell is glass.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The LED bulb as set forth in claim 1, wherein the shell is plastic.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The LED bulb as set forth in claim 1, wherein the shell is a bulb-shaped shell.

### Claim 6

An LED bulb comprising:
one or more LEDs;
a shell surrounding said one or more LEDs, wherein the shell has a shell index of refraction;
a liquid inside the shell, the liquid in contact with the one or more LEDs and the shell;
an inner anti-reflective coating on an inner surface of the shell, wherein the inner anti-reflective coating has an inner surface index of refraction; and
an outer anti-reflective coating on an outer surface of the shell, wherein the outer anti-reflective coating has an outer surface index of refraction,
wherein:
the shell index of refraction and the inner surface index of refraction in combination matches an index of refraction of the liquid in the visible light spectrum, and
the shell index of refraction and the outer surface index of refraction in combination matches an index of refraction of an external atmosphere in the visible light spectrum.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The LED bulb as set forth in claim 6, wherein the one or more LEDs and the shell surrounding the one or more LEDs form a cavity, and the liquid partially fills the cavity.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The LED bulb as set forth in claim 6, wherein the shell is glass.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The LED bulb as set forth in claim 6, wherein the shell is plastic.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The LED bulb as set forth in claim 6, wherein the shell is a bulb-shaped shell.