From their first introduction, Incandescent light bulbs have been the standard lighting source since the early 20th century. Incremental improvements to the incandescent light bulbs improved their efficiency for light output vs power resulting in a top efficiency of about 17% for a 100 watt light bulb.
The next advance in lighting came with the introduction of the Compact Fluorescent Light bulb more commonly referred to as the CFL. A CFL is a fluorescent lamp designed to replace an incandescent lamp; some types fit into light fixtures formerly used for incandescent lamps. The lamps use a tube which is curved or folded to fit into the space of an incandescent bulb, and a compact electronic ballast in the base of the lamp. Compared to general-service incandescent lamps giving the same amount of visible light, CFLs use one-fifth to one-third the electric power, and last eight to fifteen times longer.
The next evolution of the light bulb is the LED light bulb or lamp. This is a solid-state lamp that uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as the source of light. LED lamps offer long service life and high energy efficiency, but initial costs are higher than those of fluorescent and incandescent lamps. Chemical decomposition of LED chips reduces luminous flux over life cycle as with conventional lamps.
Commercial LED lighting products use semiconductor light-emitting diodes. LED lamps can be made interchangeable with other types of lamps. Assemblies of high power light-emitting diodes can be used to replace incandescent or fluorescent lamps. Some LED lamps are made with bases directly interchangeable with those of incandescent bulbs. Since the luminous efficacy (amount of visible light produced per unit of electrical power input) varies widely between LED and incandescent lamps, lamps are usefully marked with their lumen output to allow comparison with other types of lamps. LED lamps are sometimes marked to show the watt rating of an incandescent lamp with approximately the same lumen output, for consumer reference in purchasing a lamp that will provide a similar level of illumination. Efficiency of LED devices continues to improve, with some chips able to emit more than 100 lumens per watt.
What is needed is a device that has the same or better efficiency of a LED light bulb but less expensive to produce. Another aspect can be one that gives the consumer more control over the color and brightness of the light.
The embodiments describe an apparatus, method and system for replacing incandescent, CFL and fluorescent lighting devices with FIPEL panel technology.
One aspect uses a light emitting material that extends across a surface, where the surface is a non-flat surface. In another aspect the surface that emits the light for the light producing element is a curved surface, and the light emission is over the curved surface.
Another aspect uses multiple layers of light emitting material where the multiple layers each emit light and hence more layers can be stacked to create multiple light emissions.
Embodiments are described herein that use a lighting technology called Field Induced Polymer ElectroLumuinescence, referred to as FIPEL lighting.
FIPEL panels have the distinguishing feature of being able to emit colored light from any point on the CIE index bound by the triangle shown in
To appreciate the simplicity of FIPEL devices reference
Lab quality FIPEL devices are generally fabricated on glass or suitable plastic substrates with various coatings such as aluminum and Indium tin oxide (ITO). ITO is a widely used transparent conducting oxide because of its two chief properties, it is electrical conductive and optical transparent, as well as the ease with which it can be deposited as a thin film onto substrates. Because of this, ITO is used for conducting traces on the substrates of most LCD display screens. As with all transparent conducting films, a compromise must be made between conductivity and transparency, since increasing the thickness increases the concentration of charge carriers which in turn increases the material's conductivity, but decreases its transparency. The ITO coating used for the lab devices discussed here is approximately 100 nm in thickness. In
Substrate 1 in
The differences between the two similar substrates is how ITO coating 6 is positioned. In
Dielectric layer 2 in all cases is composed of a copolymer of P(VDF-TrFE) (51/49%). The dielectric layer is generally spin coated against the non-AL coated 7 side of substrate 1 or non-ITO coated 6 of substrate 4 of the top layer (insulated side). In all cases the dielectric layer is approximately 1,200 nm thick.
Emissive layer 3 is composed of a mix polymer base of poly(N-vinylcarbazole):fac-tris(2-phenylpyri-dine)iridium(III) [PVK:Ir(ppy)3]with Medium Walled Nano Tubes (MWNT). The emissive layer coating is laid onto the dielectric layer to a depth of approximately 200 nm. For the lab devices with the greatest light output the concentration of MWNTs to the polymer mix is approximately 0.04% by weight.
When an alternating current is applied across the devices shown in
Carriers within the emissive layer then recombine to form excitons, which are a bound state of an electron and hole that are attracted to each other by the electrostatic force or field in the PVK host polymer, and are subsequently transferred to the Ir(ppy)3 guest, leading to the light emission.
The frequency of the alternating current applied across the substrates of the FIPEL panel can also determine the color of light emitted by the panel. Any index on the CIE can be duplicated by selecting the frequency of the alternating current. Signal generator 5 may be of a fixed frequency which is set by electronic components.
Now referencing prior art
Now referencing prior art
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In this depiction structure 73 contains signal generator 5 (
In an embodiment, the signal generator creates a fixed frequency. However, the same structure can be used to form different bulbs with different color temperature outputs, by changing the frequency of the signal generator 5a/5B.
Now referencing
FIPEL device 111 is composed of ITO coated substrate layer 4/6B which conducts current from signal generator 5B to ITO coating 6B and on to emissive layer 3B. Above emissive layer 3B is dielectric layer 2B followed by ITO coated substrate 4B/6 which completes the current path from signal generator 5B.
Emissive layers 3A and 3B both emit light from both of their surfaces. Light emitted downward from both emissive layers 3A and 3B will be reflected back up by reflective layer 1A/7 and out of the stacked device through ITO coated substrate 4B/6.
The stacked FIPEL device as depicted in 110 allows for multiple FIPEL devices to be stacked to increase the amount of light output for every stacked device added.
Now referencing
In a slightly different embodiment shown in
Now referencing
In another embodiment shown in
In a slightly different embodiment shown in
The bottom section 91B is also composed of a stacked FIPEL device where the inner surface of 91B is composed of ITO coated substrate 4B/6 and the outer surface of 91B is composed of ITO coated substrate 4/6 (
Although only a few embodiments have been disclosed in detail above, other embodiments are possible and the inventors intend these to be encompassed within this specification. The specification describes specific examples to accomplish a more general goal that may be accomplished in another way. This disclosure is intended to be exemplary, and the claims are intended for cover any modification or alternatives which might be predictable to a person having ordinary skill in the art. For example, other shapes of “bulbs” can be used. The embodiments show only a few different kind of electrical connections, e.g., the light bulb screw connection and pin connections, but other connections can be used. Also, the above illustrates stacking only two of the FIPEL substrates, however applicant believes that more substrates can be stacked including three, four, five or any number so long as the number of FIPEL devices that are stacked emit light from both services, with a final FIPEL device having a reflective surface.
Those of skill in the art would further appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the exemplary embodiments.
The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein, may be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor can be part of a computer system that also has a user interface port that communicates with a user interface, and which receives commands entered by a user, has at least one memory (e.g., hard drive or other comparable storage, and random access memory) that stores electronic information including a program that operates under control of the processor and with communication via the user interface port, and a video output that produces its output via any kind of video output format, e.g., VGA, DVI, HDMI, display port, or any other form. This may include laptop or desktop computers, and may also include portable computers, including cell phones, tablets such as the IPAD™, and all other kinds of computers and computing platforms.
A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. These devices may also be used to select values for devices as described herein.
The steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, using cloud computing, or in combinations. A software module may reside in Random Access Memory (RAM), flash memory, Read Only Memory (ROM), Electrically Programmable ROM (EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of tangible storage medium that stores tangible, non transitory computer based instructions. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor such that the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium may be integral to the processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in reconfigurable logic of any type.
In one or more exemplary embodiments, the functions described may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions may be stored on or transmitted over as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media including any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another. A storage media may be any available media that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer.
The memory storage can also be rotating magnetic hard disk drives, optical disk drives, or flash memory based storage drives or other such solid state, magnetic, or optical storage devices. Also, any connection is properly termed a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of medium. Disk and disc, as used herein, includes compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk and blu-ray disc where disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media. The computer readable media can be an article comprising a machine-readable non-transitory tangible medium embodying information indicative of instructions that when performed by one or more machines result in computer implemented operations comprising the actions described throughout this specification.
Operations as described herein can be carried out on or over a website. The website can be operated on a server computer, or operated locally, e.g., by being downloaded to the client computer, or operated via a server farm. The website can be accessed over a mobile phone or a PDA, or on any other client. The website can use HTML code in any form, e.g., MHTML, or XML, and via any form such as cascading style sheets (“CSS”) or other.
Also, the inventor(s) intend that only those claims which use the words “means for” are intended to be interpreted under 35 USC 112, sixth paragraph. Moreover, no limitations from the specification are intended to be read into any claims, unless those limitations are expressly included in the claims. The computers described herein may be any kind of computer, either general purpose, or some specific purpose computer such as a workstation. The programs may be written in C, or Java, Brew or any other programming language. The programs may be resident on a storage medium, e.g., magnetic or optical, e.g. the computer hard drive, a removable disk or media such as a memory stick or SD media, or other removable medium. The programs may also be run over a network, for example, with a server or other machine sending signals to the local machine, which allows the local machine to carry out the operations described herein.
Where a specific numerical value is mentioned herein, it should be considered that the value may be increased or decreased by 20%, while still staying within the teachings of the present application, unless some different range is specifically mentioned. Where a specified logical sense is used, the opposite logical sense is also intended to be encompassed.
The previous description of the disclosed exemplary embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these exemplary embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.
This application is a continuation application of U.S. Ser. No. 13/887,294 filed May 4, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,912,733 issued Dec. 16, 2014, which the disclosures of this parent application is hereby incorporated by reference, in its entirety.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20150097491 A1 | Apr 2015 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 13887294 | May 2013 | US |
Child | 14571599 | US |