US6101032A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Light fixture having a multilayer polymeric film
Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Co
•
Filing: 1995-06-07
•
Granted: 2000-08-08
•
Expires: 2015-06-07
Abstract
Abstract A polarized light source includes a diffuse light source and a reflective polarizing element placed proximate thereto. The reflective polarizing element transmits light of a desired polarization and reflects light of another polarization back into the diffuse source where it is randomized. Some of the initially rejected light is thus converted into the desired polarization and is transmitted through the reflective polarizing element. This process continues, and the repeated reflections and subsequent randomization of light of the undesired polarization increases the amount of light of the desired polarization that is emitted by the polarized light source.
Inventors
- 👤 David L. Wortman
- 👤 Mark E. Gardiner
- 👤 Andrew J. Ouderkirk
- 👤 James M. Jonza
- 👤 Michael F. Weber
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 13:02
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/0001; G02B6/0011; G02B6/0033; G02B6/0056; G02B27/00; G02B27/28; G02B27/283; G02B5/00; G02B5/20; G02B5/28; G02B5/285; G02B5/287; G02B5/30; G02B5/3025; G02B5/3033; G02B5/3041; G02B5/305; G02B6/0066; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/01; G02F1/13; G02F1/133; G02F1/1333; G02F1/1335; G02F1/1336; G02F1/13362; G02B6/0013; G02B6/0023; G02B6/0031; G02B6/0035; G02B6/0038; G02B6/0045; G02B6/0046; G02B6/0048; G02B6/005; G02B6/0055; G02B6/0065; G02B6/007; G02B6/0071; G02F1/133528; G02F1/133536; G02F1/133545; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S428/00; Y10S428/91; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24942; Y10T428/31504; Y10T428/3154; Y10T428/31786; Y10T428/31797; Y10T428/31855; Y10T428/31935; Y10T428/31938
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 47
Claim 1
Independent Claim
135 words
A light fixture, comprising: a light source; and a multilayer polymeric film reflective polarizer positioned to transmit light of a desired polarization and to reflect light of another polarization back into the light source; wherein at least one of the layers in said film comprises a first polymeric material and at least one of the layers in said film comprises a second polymeric material, wherein the difference in refractive indices between the first and second polymeric materials is less than about 0.05 along a first of three mutually perpendicular axes, wherein the difference in refractive indices between said first and second polymeric materials is at least about 0.05 along a second of said three mutually perpendicular axes, and wherein said first of said three mutually perpendicular axes is orthogonal to the surface of said film.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
135 words
A light fixture, comprising: a light source; and a multilayer polymeric film reflective polarizer positioned to transmit light of a desired polarization and to reflect light of another polarization back into the light source; wherein at least one of the layers in said film comprises a first polymeric material and at least one of the layers in said film comprises a second polymeric material, wherein the difference in refractive indices between the first and second polymeric materials is less than about 0.05 along a first of three mutually perpendicular axes, wherein the difference in refractive indices between said first and second polymeric materials is at least about 0.05 along a second of said three mutually perpendicular axes, and wherein said first of said three mutually perpendicular axes is orthogonal to the surface of said film.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
The fixture of claim 1, wherein said difference in refractive indices between said first and second polymeric materials is less than about 0.02 along said first of said three mutually perpendicular axes.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
The fixture of claim 1, wherein said difference in refractive indices between said first and second polymeric materials is at least about 0.2 along said second of three mutually perpendicular axes.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
The fixture of claim 1, wherein the difference in refractive indices between said first and second polymeric materials is less than about 0.05 along a third of said three mutually perpendicular axes.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
The fixture of claim 1, wherein the difference in refractive indices between said first and second polymeric materials is less than about 0.02 along a third of said three mutually perpendicular axes.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
The fixture of claim 1, wherein said first polymeric material comprises a crystalline naphthalene dicarboxylic acid polyester.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
The fixture of claim 6, wherein said crystalline naphthalene dicarboxylic acid polyester has a positive stress optical coefficient.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
The fixture of claim 6, wherein said naphthalene dicarboxylic acid polyester is more positively birefringent than said second polymeric material.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
The fixture of claim 6, wherein each layer in said film which comprises said naphthalene dicarboxylic acid polyester is immediately adjacent to a layer comprising said second polymeric material.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
15 words
The fixture of claim 6, wherein said naphthalene dicarboxylic acid polyester is a poly(ethylene naphthalate).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
The fixture of claim 6, wherein said naphthalene dicarboxylic acid polyester is a copolyester comprising naphthalate units and terephthalate units.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
A The fixture of claim 1, wherein the layers in said film have an average thickness of not more than about 0.5 microns.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
28 words
The fixture of claim 1, wherein the layers in said film which comprise said first polymeric material have an average thickness of not more than about 0.5 microns.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
28 words
The fixture of claim 1, wherein the layers in said film which comprise said second polymeric material have an average thickness of not more than about 0.5 microns.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
43 words
The fixture of claim 1, wherein at least some of the layers in said film are arranged in a sequence which alternates between a first layer type comprising a naphthalene dicarboxylic acid polyester and a second layer type comprising said second polymeric material.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
22 words
The fixture of claim 15, wherein said second polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of fluoropolymers, polystyrenes, polyacrylates, and polyolefins.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
26 words
The fixture of claim 15, wherein said layers of said naphthalene dicarboxylic acid polyester and said layers of said second polymeric material have good interlayer adhesion.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
27 words
The fixture of claim 15, wherein there are at least 50 layers of said first layer type and at least 50 layers of said second layer type.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
34 words
The fixture of claim 15, wherein said layers of said first layer type have a higher index of refraction associated with at least one in-plane axis than the layers of said second layer type.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
45 words
The fixture of claim 19, wherein said layers of said first layer type have an index of refraction associated with at least one in-plane axis that is at least about 0.05 higher than the index of refraction of the layers of said second layer type.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
45 words
The fixture of claim 19, wherein said layers of said first layer type have an index of refraction associated with at least one in-plane axis that is at least about 0.10 higher than the index of refraction of the layers of said second layer type.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
45 words
The fixture of claim 19, wherein said layers of said first layer type have an index of refraction associated with at least one in-plane axis that is at least about 0.20 higher than the index of refraction of the layers of said second layer type.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
16 words
The fixture of claim 1, wherein said film has been stretched in at least one direction.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
24 words
The fixture of claim 1, wherein said film has been stretched in at least one direction to at least twice that direction's unstretched dimension.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
16 words
The fixture of claim 1, wherein said film has been stretched in at least two directions.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
13 words
The fixture of claim 1, wherein said second polymeric material is a polyester.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
13 words
The fixture of claim 26, wherein said second polymeric material comprises naphthalene units.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
19 words
The fixture of claim 26, wherein said second polymeric material is a copolyester comprising naphthalate units and terephthalate units.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
13 words
The fixture of claim 1, wherein said second polymeric material is a polystyrene.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
13 words
The fixture of claim 1, wherein said second polymeric material is a fluoropolymer.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
20 words
The fixture of claim 1, wherein said second polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of polyacrylates and polyolefins.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
12 words
The fixture of claim 31, wherein said second polymeric material is polymethacrylate.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
19 words
The fixture of claim 1, wherein said first polymeric material is PEN and said second polymeric material is coPEN.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
31 words
The fixture of claim 1, wherein said film has an average reflectivity, for at least one plane of polarization, of at least 50% over at least a 100 nm wide band.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
13 words
The light fixture of claim 1 wherein the fixture comprises a task light.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
30 words
The light fixture of claim 1 wherein the light source is a source which emits light having a high degree of scatter or randomization for polarization and direction of light.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
23 words
The light fixture of claim 1 wherein the light source is an incandescent lamp, a fluorescent lamp, solid-state source, or electroluminescent light source.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
18 words
The light fixture of claim 1 wherein the film is wrapped at least partly around the light source.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
166 words
A light fixture comprising: (a) a light source (b) a multilayer mirror positioned to reflect light emitted by the light source toward an output side of the light fixture and (c) a reflective polarizer positioned to transmit light of a desired polarization, and to reflect light of another polarization back into the light source and the mirror, wherein the multilayer mirror comprises a polymeric film comprising a plurality of layers, wherein at least one of the layers comprises a first polymeric material and at least one of the layers comprises a second polymeric material, wherein a difference in refractive indices between the first and the second polymeric materials is less than about 0.05 along a first of three mutually perpendicular axes, wherein a difference in refractive indices between the first and second polymeric materials is at least about 0.05 along a second of the three mutually perpendicular axes, and wherein the first of the three mutually perpendicular axes is orthogonal to a plane of the film.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
166 words
A light fixture comprising: (a) a light source (b) a multilayer mirror positioned to reflect light emitted by the light source toward an output side of the light fixture and (c) a reflective polarizer positioned to transmit light of a desired polarization, and to reflect light of another polarization back into the light source and the mirror, wherein the multilayer mirror comprises a polymeric film comprising a plurality of layers, wherein at least one of the layers comprises a first polymeric material and at least one of the layers comprises a second polymeric material, wherein a difference in refractive indices between the first and the second polymeric materials is less than about 0.05 along a first of three mutually perpendicular axes, wherein a difference in refractive indices between the first and second polymeric materials is at least about 0.05 along a second of the three mutually perpendicular axes, and wherein the first of the three mutually perpendicular axes is orthogonal to a plane of the film.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
13 words
The light fixture of claim 39 wherein the fixture comprises a task light.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
30 words
The light fixture of claim 39 wherein the light source is a source which emits light having a high degree of scatter or randomization for polarization and direction of light.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
23 words
The light fixture of claim 39, wherein the light source is an incandescent lamp, a fluorescent lamp, solid-state source, or electroluminescent light source.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
16 words
The light fixture of claim 39, wherein said film has a reflectivity of greater than 99%.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
18 words
The light fixture of claim 39, wherein said film comprises a stack of alternating pairs of polymeric materials.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
16 words
The light fixture of claim 39, wherein said film comprises alternating layers of PEN and coPEN.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-08-08 | 2004-02-07 | 2004-08-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-08-08 | 2008-02-07 | 2008-08-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-08-08 | 2012-02-07 | 2012-08-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |