Polarized lighting panel

Claim 2

An improvement in an laminated lighting panel having a first layer with at least one shaped surface comprising a plurality of three-dimensional elements extending from said one surface and a surface opposing said one shaped surface, each element defined by three generally flat triangular surfaces, each of said triangular surfaces having first and second sides and a base, and mating the other two of said three triangular surfaces defining each of said elements on said first and second sides of said element, each of said bases of said three triangular surfaces defining each of said element being substantially coincident with the base of one of said triangular surfaces defining an adjacent element, all of said bases being substantially coplanar, each of said three triangular surfaces being disposed at approximately 50 to 60 degrees with respect to the plane of said bases. said improvement comprising a second layer laminated to said first layer and composed of a foamed laminated polarizing material having formed therein a multiplicity of flattened plastic bubbles so that light transmitted through said second layer, first layer and then through said shaped surface of said first layer is substantially polarized through a corresponding multiplicity of optical interfaces formed by said bubbles and said multiply polarized light is refracted through said shaped surface to distribute said light at wide angles from the vertical with a VCP of substantially equal or greater than 70.

Claim 3

The improvement of claim 1 wherein said portion of said lighting panel being composed of polarizing material is a layer adhered to said surface of said lighting panel opposing said one surface having said plurality of three-dimensional elements defined therein.

Claim 4

The improvement of claim 2 wherein said polarizing layer is laminated to said opposing surface of said lighting panel and wherein said plurality of three-dimensional elements are embossed into said one surface.

Claim 5

The improvement of claim 3 wherein said laminated polarizing layer is laminated to said lighting panel while said lighting panel is heated and plastic and is laminated to said opposing surface of said lighting panel without inclusion of adhesives.

Claim 6

The improvement of claim 4 wherein said plurality of three-dimensional elements are defined into said one surface of said lighting panel subsequent to thermal lamination of said polarizing layer to said opposing surface of said lighting panel.

Claim 7

The improvement of claim 4 wherein said plurality of three-dimensional elements are defined into said one surface of said lighting panel prior to thermal lamination of said polarizing layer to said opposing surface of said lighting panel.

Claim 8

An improvement in a lighting panel having in one surface of a first layer thereof a plurality of three-dimensional elements defined by a first set of parallel, equally spaced V-grooves directed downwardly into said one surface of said lighting panel, a second set of parallel V-grooves directed downwardly into said panel, said second set of V-grooves having the same spacing as said first set and crossing said first set at an angle of approximately 60 degrees, and a third set of V-grooves directed downwardly into said panel, said third set of V-grooves having the same spacing as said first set and crossing said first and second sets at an angle of approximately 60 degrees, said first set and third sets of V-grooves being disposed so that the lines defined by junction of the two sides of each of said V-grooves are substantially coplanar, each of said two sides of each of said V-grooves being disposed at approximately 50 to 60 degrees with respect to the plane of said lines defined by the junction of the two sides of each of said V-grooves, said one surface being opposing by a flat surface, said improvement comprising a second layer laminated to said first layer and composed of a foamed laminated polarizing material having formed therein a multiplicity of flattened plastic bubbles formed so that light transmitted through said second layer, first layer and then through said shaped surface of said first layer is substantially polarized through a corresponding multiplicity of optical interfaces formed by said bubbles and said multiply polarized light is refracted through said shaped surface to distribute said light at wide angles from the vertical with a VCP of substantially equal or greater than 70.

Claim 9

An improvement in a lighting panel having in one surface of a first layer thereof a plurality of three-dimensional elements defined by a first set of parallel, equally spaced V-grooves directed downwardly into said one surface of said lighting panel, a second set of parallel V-grooves directed downwardly into said panel, said second set of V-grooves having the same spacing as said first set and crossing said first set at an angle of approximately 60 degrees, and a third set of V-grooves directed downwardly into said panel, said third set of V-grooves having the same spacing as said first set and crossing said first and second sets at an angle of approximately 60 degrees, said first set and third sets of V-grooves being disposed so that the lines defined by junction of the two sides of each of said V-grooves are substantially coplanar, each of said two sides of each of said V-grooves being disposed at approximately 50 to 60 degrees with respect to the plane of said lines defined by the junction of the two sides of each of said V-grooves, said one surface being opposing by a flat surface, said improvement comprising a second layer laminated to said first layer and composed of a foamed laminated polarizing material having formed therein a multiplicity of flattened plastic bubbles formed so that light transmitted through said second layer, first layer and then through said shaped surface of said first layer is substantially polarized through a corresponding multiplicity of optical interfaces formed by said bubbles and said multiply polarized light is refracted through said shaped surface to distribute said light at wide angles from the vertical with a VCP of substantially equal or greater than 70.

Claim 10

The improvement of claim 7 wherein said portion of said lighting panel being composed of polarizing material is a backing layer adhered to said flat surface of said lighting panel opposing said one surface having said plurality of three-dimensional elements defined therein.

Claim 11

The improvement of claim 8 wherein said polarizing layer is laminated to said opposing flat surface of said lighting panel.

Claim 12

The improvement of claim 9 wherein said laminated polarizing layer is laminated to said lighting panel while said lighting panel is heated and plastic and is laminated to said opposing flat surface of said lighting panel without inclusion of adhesives.

Claim 13

The improvement of claim 10 wherein said plurality of three-dimensional elements are defined into said one surface of said lighting panel subsequent to thermal lamination of said polarizing layer to said opposing flat surface of said lighting panel.

Claim 14

The improvement of claim 10 wherein said plurality of three-dimensional elements are defined into said one surface of said lighting panel prior to thermal lamination of said polarizing layer to said opposing flat surface of said lighting panel.

Claim 15

An improvement in a lighting panel having on one surface of a first layer a pattern defined therein of a plurality of groups of three generally triangular surfaces, each of said triangular surfaces having first and second sides and a base, and mating the other two of said three triangular on said first and second sides thereof, each of said bases of said three triangular surfaces in a group being substantially coincident with the base of one of said triangular surfaces in an adjacent group, all of said bases being substantially coplanar, each of said three triangular surfaces being disposed at approximately 50 degrees to 60 degrees with respect to the plane of said bases, said one surface having an unshaped opposing surface, said improvement comprising: at least a portion of said lighting panel being composed of polarizing material, so that light transmitted through said groups of triangular surfaces of said lighting panel and into said polarizing material emerges from said polarizing material as substantially vertically polarized light, the axis of polarization being nonhorizontal to the surface of said polarizing material from which said light emerges, and; a second layer laminated to said first layer and composed of a foamed laminated polarizing material having formed therein a multiplicity of flattened plastic bubbles formed so that light transmitted through said second layer, first layer and then through said shaped surface of said first layer is substantially polarized through a corresponding multiplicity of optical interfaces formed by said bubbles and said multiply polarized light is refracted through said shaped surface to distribute said light at wide angles from the vertical with a VCP of substantially equal or greater than 70.

Claim 16

An improvement in a lighting panel having on one surface of a first layer a pattern defined therein of a plurality of groups of three generally triangular surfaces, each of said triangular surfaces having first and second sides and a base, and mating the other two of said three triangular on said first and second sides thereof, each of said bases of said three triangular surfaces in a group being substantially coincident with the base of one of said triangular surfaces in an adjacent group, all of said bases being substantially coplanar, each of said three triangular surfaces being disposed at approximately 50 degrees to 60 degrees with respect to the plane of said bases, said one surface having an unshaped opposing surface, said improvement comprising: at least a portion of said lighting panel being composed of polarizing material, so that light transmitted through said groups of triangular surfaces of said lighting panel and into said polarizing material emerges from said polarizing material as substantially vertically polarized light, the axis of polarization being nonhorizontal to the surface of said polarizing material from which said light emerges, and; a second layer laminated to said first layer and composed of a foamed laminated polarizing material having formed therein a multiplicity of flattened plastic bubbles formed so that light transmitted through said second layer, first layer and then through said shaped surface of said first layer is substantially polarized through a corresponding multiplicity of optical interfaces formed by said bubbles and said multiply polarized light is refracted through said shaped surface to distribute said light at wide angles from the vertical with a VCP of substantially equal or greater than 70.

Claim 17

The improvement of claim 13 wherein said portion of said lighting panel being composed of polarizing material is a backing layer adhered to said unshaped surface of said lighting panel opposing said one one surface having said plurality of three-dimensional elements defined therein.

Claim 18

The improvement of claim 14 wherein said polarizing layer is laminated to said opposing unshaped surface of said lighting panel.

Claim 19

The improvement of claim 15 wherein said laminated polarizing layer is laminated to said lighting panel while said lighting panel is heated and plastic and is laminated to said opposing unshaped surface of said lighting panel without inclusion of adhesives.

Claim 20

The improvement of claim 16 wherein said plurality of three-dimensional elements are defined into said one surface of said lighting panel subsequent to thermal lamination of said polarizing layer to said opposing surface of said lighting panel.

Claim 21

The improvement of claim 16 wherein said plurality of three-dimensional elements are defined into said one surface of said lighting panel prior to thermal lamination of said polarizing layer to said opposing surface of said lighting panel.

Claim 22

An improvement in a lighting panel/fixture including a light source comprising: first means incorporated therein for preferentially distributing the light transmitted through said panel/fixture away from angles at and near the vertical directly beneath said panel/fixture and away from angles at and near parallel to the surface of said panel/fixture; and second means disposed within said panel/fixture on said first means, said second means for polarizing light incident on said panel/fixture to be transmitted therefrom as vertically plane polarized light at wide angles wherein said second means for polarizing said light transmitted through said panel/fixture is a layer of polarizing material disposed on a lower surface of said panel/fixture furthest away from said light source, said first means for preferentially distributing said light defined in an opposing upper surface of said panel/fixture, said layer laminated to said first means and composed of a foamed laminated polarizing material having a multiplicity of flattened plastic bubbles formed therein so that light transmitted through said second means and through said first means is substantially polarized through a corresponding multiplicity of optical interfaces formed by said bubbles, said multiply polarized light being refracted through said first means to distribute said light at wide angles from the vertical with a VCP of substantially equal or greater than 70.

Claim 23

An improvement in a lighting panel/fixture including a light source comprising: first means incorporated therein for preferentially distributing the light transmitted through said panel/fixture away from angles at and near the vertical directly beneath said panel/fixture and away from angles at and near parallel to the surface of said panel/fixture; and second means disposed within said panel/fixture on said first means, said second means for polarizing light incident on said panel/fixture to be transmitted therefrom as vertically plane polarized light at wide angles wherein said second means for polarizing said light transmitted through said panel/fixture is a layer of polarizing material disposed on a lower surface of said panel/fixture furthest away from said light source, said first means for preferentially distributing said light defined in an opposing upper surface of said panel/fixture, said layer laminated to said first means and composed of a foamed laminated polarizing material having a multiplicity of flattened plastic bubbles formed therein so that light transmitted through said second means and through said first means is substantially polarized through a corresponding multiplicity of optical interfaces formed by said bubbles, said multiply polarized light being refracted through said first means to distribute said light at wide angles from the vertical with a VCP of substantially equal or greater than 70.