Reflective ink lighting assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10851952-B2
Application number	US-201916272191-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2019
Priority date	Feb 15, 2018
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

A reflective-ink lighting assembly includes a light transferring medium, a reflective-ink marking in the light transferring medium, and a light source adapted to insert light into the light transferring medium. In a lit state, light from the light source propagates through the light transferring medium by total-internal reflection. As propagated light reflects off the reflective-ink marking, some light exits through a façade of the light transferring medium to produce an illuminated marking. In an unlit state, the reflective-ink marking remains visible due to ambient light reflecting off the reflective-ink marking.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A reflective-ink lighting assembly, comprising:
a light transferring medium;
a reflective-ink marking provided on the light transferring medium;
a light source adapted to insert light into the light transferring medium in a lit state, such that the light propagates through the light transferring medium by total-internal reflection to illuminate the reflective-ink marking;
in an unlit state, the reflective-ink lighting assembly is configured such that the reflective-ink marking remains visible in the presence of ambient light; and
in the lit state, rays of light reflect off of the reflective-ink marking and out of a façade of the light transferring medium so that the reflective-ink marking is visible in the absence of ambient light.

2. The reflective-ink lighting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the reflective-ink marking is applied via pad printing.

3. The reflective-ink lighting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the reflective-ink marking is applied on an inner far side of the light transferring medium opposite a desired direction of light propagation.

4. The reflective-ink lighting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the light source introduces light into the light transferring medium along an edge of the light transferring medium.

5. The reflective-ink lighting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the light source includes one or more light-emitting diodes.

6. The reflective-ink lighting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the light source includes an array of light-emitting diodes.

7. The reflective-ink lighting assembly of claim 1 , wherein ambient light enters the lighting assembly via transparent or semi-transparent portions of the reflective-ink lighting assembly and reflects off the reflective-ink marking making it externally visible through the façade.

8. The reflective-ink lighting assembly of claim 1 , wherein a beam pattern resulting from illumination in the lit state provides an intensity, a size, and a shape that meets legal automotive signal lamp photometric requirements.

9. The reflective-ink lighting assembly of claim 1 , further comprising reflective ink printed on non-essential exit faces of a lighting assembly to increase a total amount of usable light by reflecting light back into the light transferring medium thereby increasing a light efficiency of the lighting assembly.

10. The reflective-ink lighting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the reflective-ink marking further comprises an image set provided on the light transferring medium.

11. The reflective-ink lighting assembly of claim 10 , wherein the image set is provided on a plurality of light transferring media layered upon one another to form a stackup of images.

12. The reflective-ink lighting assembly of claim 10 , wherein the image set glows substantially homogenously when illuminated in the lit state.

13. The reflective-ink lighting assembly of claim 10 , wherein the light source comprises colored light-emitting diodes providing a plurality of colors and the markings include color-matched inks to enable separate portions of the image set to be illuminated via the colored light-emitting diodes.

14. A lighting assembly, comprising:
a reflective-ink marking printed on an inner side of a light transferring medium;
a light source adapted to propagate light through the light transferring medium, wherein propagated light reflects off the reflective-ink marking and exits through a façade of the light transferring medium; and
wherein, in a lit state, rays of light are frustrated out of a façade of the light transferring medium by reflecting off of the reflective-ink marking so that the reflective-ink marking glows substantially homogenously in the absence of ambient light.

15. The lighting assembly of claim 14 , wherein the inner side on which the reflective-ink marking is printed is opposite the façade of the light transferring medium.

16. The lighting assembly of claim 14 , further comprising a lit state when the light source is on and an unlit state when the light source is off, the reflective-ink marking being illuminated in the lit state via the light source and in the unlit state via ambient light.

17. The lighting assembly of claim 14 , wherein the reflective-ink marking includes an image set printed on one or more layers of the light transferring medium arranged in a stackup.

18. The lighting assembly of claim 14 , wherein the reflective-ink marking provides an opaque appearance due to a dense application of ink in the marking.

19. The lighting assembly of claim 14 , wherein the reflective-ink marking provides a translucent appearance due to a light application of ink in the marking.

20. A lighting assembly having a light transferring medium and a reflective-ink marking provided on the light transferring medium, the lighting assembly comprising:
a light source adapted to insert light into the light transferring medium in a lit state, such that the light propagates through the light transferring medium by total-internal reflection to illuminate the reflective-ink marking;
the reflective-ink lighting assembly is configured such that, in an unlit state, ambient light enters the lighting assembly via transparent or semi-transparent portions of the reflective-ink lighting assembly and reflects off the reflective-ink marking making it externally visible through the façade; and
reflective ink is disposed on portions of the lighting assembly so that a total amount of usable light is increased by reflecting light back into the light transferring medium, thereby increasing a light efficiency of the lighting assembly.

Assignees

• Flex N Gate Advanced Product Dev Llc

Inventors

• Scoville Jonathan
• Sullivan Les

Classifications

• G09F13/18 Primary

  Edge-illuminated signs · CPC title

• G09F13/044

  Signs, boards or panels mounted on vehicles · CPC title

• G09F13/049

  Edge illuminated signs, boards or panels · CPC title

• G09F2013/227

  Electroluminescent displays for vehicles · CPC title

• B60Q1/302

  mounted in the vicinity, e.g. in the middle, of a rear window · CPC title