Method of constructing thin electroluminescent lamp assemblies

Claim 1

A method of constructing a thin electroluminescent lamp comprising the steps of: (a) screen printing a band of silver conductive material substantially around the edges of a circumscribed area of a transparent conductive substrate with said area conforming to the desired configuration for the lamp and with said band forming an electrical bus bar for the lamp; (b) forming an insulated support area over a section of said transparent conductive substrate extending from said silver conductive bus bar; (c) depositing a finger-like section of silver conductive material over said insulated support area and extending from said bus bar to form a first electrical lead; (d) forming a UV curable dielectric matrix by loading nonencapsulated particles of electroluminescent phosphor into a UV curable dielectric composition; (e) depositing a coating of said UV curable dielectric composition over said circumscribed area of the transparent conductor and over said silver conductive bus bar; (f) curing said coating composition by exposure to a source of ultraviolet light in a substantially inert atmosphere; (g) superimposing a layer of a nontransparent conductive material over the surface of the UV curable dielectric coating with said nontransparent conductive layer having an elongated finger-like section extending over said insulating support area to form a second electrical lead laterally spaced from said first electrical lead; and (h) applying a protective coating over said conductive layer and at least a portion of said first and second electrical leads.

Claim 2

A method of constructing a thin electroluminescent lamp comprising the steps of: (a) screen printing a band of silver conductive material substantially around the edges of a circumscribed area of a transparent conductive substrate with said area conforming to the desired configuration for the lamp and with said band forming an electrical bus bar for the lamp; (b) forming an insulated support area over a section of said transparent conductive substrate extending from said silver conductive bus bar; (c) depositing a finger-like section of silver conductive material over said insulated support area and extending from said bus bar to form a first electrical lead; (d) forming a UV curable dielectric matrix by loading nonencapsulated particles of electroluminescent phosphor into a UV curable dielectric composition; (e) depositing a coating of said UV curable dielectric composition over said circumscribed area of the transparent conductor and over said silver conductive bus bar; (f) curing said coating composition by exposure to a source of ultraviolet light in a substantially inert atmosphere; (g) superimposing a layer of a nontransparent conductive material over the surface of the UV curable dielectric coating with said nontransparent conductive layer having an elongated finger-like section extending over said insulating support area to form a second electrical lead laterally spaced from said first electrical lead; and (h) applying a protective coating over said conductive layer and at least a portion of said first and second electrical leads.

Claim 7

A method of constructing a thin electroluminescent lamp comprising the steps of: (a) depositing a layer of a transparent conductive material, upon an insulating substrate to form a predetermined shape substantially conforming to the desired configuration for the lamp, with the transparent conductor having an elongated finger-like section forming a first electrical lead for the lamp; (b) screen printing a band of silver conductive material substantially around the edges of the predetermined shape formed by said transparent conductor for forming an electrical bus bar for the lamp; (c) forming a UV curable dielectric matrix by loading nonencapsulated particles of electroluminescent phosphor into a UV curable dielectric composition; (d) depositing a coating of said UV curable dielectric composition over the transparent conductor and over said silver conductive bus bar with said first electrical lead exposed; (e) curing said coating composition by exposure to a source of ultraviolet light in a substantially inert atmosphere; (f) superimposing a layer of a nontransparent conductive material over the surface of the UV curable dielectric coating with said nontransparent conductive layer having an elongated finger-like section extending over said insulating substrate in registry with and laterally spaced from said first electrical lead to form a second electrical lead; (g) applying a protective coating over said nontransparent conductive layer and extending over at least a portion of said first and second electrical leads.

Claim 8

A method of constructing a thin electroluminescent lamp comprising the steps of: (a) depositing a layer of a transparent conductive material, upon an insulating substrate to form a predetermined shape substantially conforming to the desired configuration for the lamp, with the transparent conductor having an elongated finger-like section forming a first electrical lead for the lamp; (b) screen printing a band of silver conductive material substantially around the edges of the predetermined shape formed by said transparent conductor for forming an electrical bus bar for the lamp; (c) forming a UV curable dielectric matrix by loading nonencapsulated particles of electroluminescent phosphor into a UV curable dielectric composition; (d) depositing a coating of said UV curable dielectric composition over the transparent conductor and over said silver conductive bus bar with said first electrical lead exposed; (e) curing said coating composition by exposure to a source of ultraviolet light in a substantially inert atmosphere; (f) superimposing a layer of a nontransparent conductive material over the surface of the UV curable dielectric coating with said nontransparent conductive layer having an elongated finger-like section extending over said insulating substrate in registry with and laterally spaced from said first electrical lead to form a second electrical lead; (g) applying a protective coating over said nontransparent conductive layer and extending over at least a portion of said first and second electrical leads.

Claim 13

A method of constructing a thin electroluminescent lamp comprising the steps of: (a) forming a UV curable dielectric matrix by loading nonencapsulated particles of electroluminescent phosphor into a UV curable dielectric composition; (b) depositing a coating of such composition upon a predetermined surface area of a nontransparent conductor, said area conforming to the desired configuration for the lamp and with said nontransparent conductor having a predetermined finger-like section forming a first electrical lead for the lamp; (c) curing said coating composition by exposure to a source of ultraviolet light in a substantially inert atmosphere; (d) forming an insulated support area over a section of said nontransparent conductor adjacent to said predetermined surface area and said first electrical lead; (e) screen printing a band of silver conductive material substantially around the periphery of said coating of dielectric matrix composition for forming a bus bar for the lamp; (f) screen printing a finger-like extension of said silver conductive material from said bus bar over said insulated support area to form a second electrical lead adjacent to said first electrical lead; (g) superimposing a coating of a transparent conductive material over said coating of dielectric matrix material and over said bus bar; and (h) applying a protective coating over said transparent conductive coating and extending over at least a portion of said first and second electrical leads.

Claim 14

A method of constructing a thin electroluminescent lamp comprising the steps of: (a) forming a UV curable dielectric matrix by loading nonencapsulated particles of electroluminescent phosphor into a UV curable dielectric composition; (b) depositing a coating of such composition upon a predetermined surface area of a nontransparent conductor, said area conforming to the desired configuration for the lamp and with said nontransparent conductor having a predetermined finger-like section forming a first electrical lead for the lamp; (c) curing said coating composition by exposure to a source of ultraviolet light in a substantially inert atmosphere; (d) forming an insulated support area over a section of said nontransparent conductor adjacent to said predetermined surface area and said first electrical lead; (e) screen printing a band of silver conductive material substantially around the periphery of said coating of dielectric matrix composition for forming a bus bar for the lamp; (f) screen printing a finger-like extension of said silver conductive material from said bus bar over said insulated support area to form a second electrical lead adjacent to said first electrical lead; (g) superimposing a coating of a transparent conductive material over said coating of dielectric matrix material and over said bus bar; and (h) applying a protective coating over said transparent conductive coating and extending over at least a portion of said first and second electrical leads.

Claim 19

A method of constructing a thin electroluminescent lamp comprising the steps of: (a) depositing a layer of nontransparent conductive material, having a predetermined shape substantially conforming to the desired configuration for the lamp, upon an insulating substrate, with the nontransparent conductor having an elongated finger-like section for forming a first electrical lead for the lamp; (b) forming a UV curable dielectric matrix by loading nonencapsulated particles of electroluminescent phosphor into a UV curable dielectric composition; (c) depositing a coating of such matrix material composition over said layer of nontransparent conductive material with said first electrical lead exposed; (d) curing said coating by exposure to ultraviolet light in a substantially inert atmosphere; (e) screen printing a band of silver conductive material substantially around the periphery of said dielectric matrix coating for forming a bus bar for the lamp; (f) screen printing a finger-like extension of said silver conductive material from said bus bar over said insulating substrate to form a second electrical lead adjacent to said first electrical lead; (g) superimposing a coating of a transparent conductive material over said coating of dielectric matrix material and over said bus bar; and (h) applying a protective coating over said transparent conductive coating and extending over at least a portion of said first and second electrical leads.

Claim 20

A method of constructing a thin electroluminescent lamp comprising the steps of: (a) depositing a layer of nontransparent conductive material, having a predetermined shape substantially conforming to the desired configuration for the lamp, upon an insulating substrate, with the nontransparent conductor having an elongated finger-like section for forming a first electrical lead for the lamp; (b) forming a UV curable dielectric matrix by loading nonencapsulated particles of electroluminescent phosphor into a UV curable dielectric composition; (c) depositing a coating of such matrix material composition over said layer of nontransparent conductive material with said first electrical lead exposed; (d) curing said coating by exposure to ultraviolet light in a substantially inert atmosphere; (e) screen printing a band of silver conductive material substantially around the periphery of said dielectric matrix coating for forming a bus bar for the lamp; (f) screen printing a finger-like extension of said silver conductive material from said bus bar over said insulating substrate to form a second electrical lead adjacent to said first electrical lead; (g) superimposing a coating of a transparent conductive material over said coating of dielectric matrix material and over said bus bar; and (h) applying a protective coating over said transparent conductive coating and extending over at least a portion of said first and second electrical leads.