Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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THREE-DIMENSIONAL LIGHTING STRUCTURE UTILIZING LIGHT ACTIVE
TECHNOLOGY
Background
100011 Existing lighting having miniature or light emitting diode (LED)
technology
employs rigid plastic frames to support two-dimensional shapes. These frames
detract from
the focus on the pattern and are bulky to store. Moreover, the frames used in
current
dimensional lighting are flat and therefore only support a two-dimensional
ornament, thereby
not providing a lighted three-dimensional user experience. This rigidity also
denies flexibility
in the number or quality of shapes that are available.
100021 Existing miniature light technology furthermore has an operational
life that is
limited. Power load increases occur when one or more bulbs burn out and must
be borne by
the remaining lights until the entire circuit burns out at once, leaving a
useless lighting fixture
in which the problem bulb or bulbs are difficult to identify and replace.
Additionally, such
conventional lighting notorious for using considerable power and generating
considerable heat.
100031 There therefore exists in the art a need for dimensional lighting
that is three-
dimensional, non-bulky, easy to store, flexible, and resilient to individual
power outages.
Summary of the Invention
10003A1 In a broad aspect, the invention pertains to a three-dimensional
lighting structure,
comprising at least one non-rigid, flexible, foldable double-faced sheet of
light active material
comprised of two opposedly facing sheets of light active material arranged
back-to-back and
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configured to omit light from front and back sides of the at least one double-
faced sheet of
light active material. Each sheet of the two opposedly facing sheets of light
active material
have a plurality of lighting elements that are sandwiched between two or more
laminate layers
and that comprise emissive electroluminescent material and have circuitry
coupled to the
plurality of light elements within. There is provided at least one folding
element of the at least
one double-faced sheet of light material, with a collapsible three-dimensional
lighting structure
formed of the at least one double-faced sheet of light active material and the
at least one
folding element. A power supply element to provide power to the circuitry is
coupled to the
plurality of lighting elements of the two opposedly facing sheets of light
active material of the
at least one double-faced sheet of light active material. A fastening element
is coupled to the
at least one double-faced sheet of light active material at at least one
fastening point of the at
least one double-faced sheet of light active material, and the collapsible
three-dimensional
lighting structure is removably retained in a three-dimensional form by the
fastening element.
[0003B1
In a further aspect, the invention provides a method of creating a three-
dimensional lighting structure, comprising folding at least one non-rigid,
flexible, foldable
double-faced sheet of light active material formed of two opposedly facing
sheets of light
active material arranged back-to-back and configured to emit light from front
and back sides
of the at least one double-faced sheet of light active material along at least
one folding element,
to create a collapsible three-dimensional lighting structure. Each of the two
opposedly facing
sheets of light active material comprises a plurality of lighting elements
that are sandwiched
between two or more laminate layers that comprise emissive electroluminescent
material, and
each of the two opposedly facing sheets of light active material have
circuitry coupled to the
plurality of light elements. The three-dimensional lighting structure is
removably retained by
activating a fastening element to retain the three-dimensional lighting
structure created by
folding the at least one double-faced sheet of light active material along the
at least one folding
element.
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100030 Still further, the invention comprehends a method of manufacturing
a three-
dimensional lighting structure, comprising providing at least one non-rigid,
flexible, foldable
double-faced sheet of light active material formed of two opposedly facing
sheets of light
active material arranged back-to-back, and configured to emit light from front
and back sides
of the at least one double-faced sheet of light active material. Each of the
two opposedly
facing sheets of light active material comprises a plurality of lighting
elements that are
sandwiched between two or more laminate layers that comprise emissive
electroluminescent
material, and each of the two opposedly facing sheets of light active material
have circuitry
coupled to the plurality of light elements. The at least one non-rigid,
flexible, foldable double-
faced sheet of light active material is provided with at least one folding
element along which
the at least one non-rigid, flexible, foldable double-faced sheet of light
active material are
foldable. A fastening element is provided to removably retain a collapsible
three-dimensional
lighting structure created when the at least one double-faced sheet of light
active material are
folded along the at least one folding element.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[00041 The features of the invention believed to be novel are set forth
with particularity
in the appended claims. The invention itself however, both as to organization
and method of
operation, together with objects and advantages thereof, may be best
understood by reference
to the following detailed description of the invention, which describes
certain exemplary
embodiments of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a front view of a three-dimensional lighting structure in accordance
with
certain embodiments.
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FIG. 2 is a top view of a three-dimensional lighting structure assembly in
accordance with
certain embodiments.
FIG. 3 illustrates storage of a three-dimensional lighting structure in
accordance with certain
embodiments.
FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a three-dimensional lighting structure in
accordance with certain
embodiments.
FIG. 5 is a bottom view of a three-dimensional lighting structure in
accordance with certain
embodiments.
FIG. 6 is a rectangular three-dimension lighting structure in accordance with
certain
embodiments.
FIG. 7 is a rectangular three-dimension lighting structure comprised of
multiple sheets of light
active material in accordance with certain embodiments.
FIG. 8 is a rectangular three-dimension lighting structure comprised of a
single sheet of light
active material in accordance with certain embodiments.
FIG. 9 is a sheet of light active material having non-centered folding
elements in accordance
with certain embodiments.
FIG. 10 is a clip assembly fastening element in accordance with certain
embodiments.
FIGs. 11 and 12 are top views of a three-dimensional lighting structure
assembly made of
double-faced sheets of light active material, in accordance with certain
embodiments.
FIG. 13 illustrates storage of a three-dimensional lighting structure made of
double-faced sheets
of light active material, in accordance with certain embodiments.
FIG. 14 is an exploded view of a three-dimensional lighting structure made of
double-faced
sheets of light active material, in accordance with certain embodiments.
FIGs. 15 and 16 are bottom views of a three-dimensional lighting structure
made of double-faced
sheets of light active material, in accordance with certain embodiments.
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[0005] Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are
illustrated for simplicity
and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the
dimensions of some
of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements
to help to improve
understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
Detailed Description
[0006] While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different
forms, there is
shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail specific
embodiments, with the
understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an example of
the principles of
the invention and not intended to limit the invention to the specific
embodiments shown and
described. In the description below, like reference numerals are used to
describe the same,
similar or corresponding parts in the several views of the drawings.
[0007] In this document, relational terms such as first and second, top and
bottom, and the like
may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or
action without
necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order
between such entities or
actions. The terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variation thereof,
are intended to
cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or
apparatus that comprises
a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other
elements not
expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.
An element preceded
by "comprises ...a" does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence
of additional
identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that
comprises the element.
[0008] Reference throughout this document to "one embodiment", "certain
embodiments", "an
embodiment" or similar terms means that a particular feature, structure, or
characteristic
described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one
embodiment of the
present invention. Thus, the appearances of such phrases or in various places
throughout this
specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.
Furthermore, the
particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any
suitable manner in one
or more embodiments without limitation.
[0009] The ter-n "or" as used herein is to be interpreted as an inclusive or
meaning any one or any
combination. Therefore, "A, B or C" means "any of the following: A; B; C; A
and B; A and C;
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B and C; A, B and C". An exception to this definition will occur only when a
combination of
elements, functions, steps or acts are in some way inherently mutually
exclusive.
[0010] In accordance with various embodiments, three-dimensional lighting
structures, employing
light active technology and arranged in one or more three-dimensional shapes,
such as stars,
balls, snowflakes, diamonds, and the like, which may or may not be
geometrically patterned
(geo-pattern), are disclosed. Such light active technology may be arranged in
sheet or string
format and includes organic light emitting diode (OLED) and inorganic light
emitting diode
(ILED) lighting technology. OLED technology employs organic compounds that are
deposited,
such as in rows and columns, as a film onto a flat carrier by a printing
process. The resulting
pixels of the organic compounds form an emissive electroluminescent layer that
can emit light of
varying colors. ILED technology uses inorganic materials.
100111 The ease with which some light active technology may be folded, cut and
shaped provides
for lighting structures to be given a three-dimensional presentation in shape
when used and then
easily folded for ready storage in accordance with various embodiments. The
durability of light
active technology material provides for durable construction that can be used
indoors or
outdoors, and can be reused a number of times. The long lighting life
associated with light
active technology, such as OLED, is also attractive. Using this technology,
the "support"
framing that might otherwise be needed for decorative lighting can be
minimized while still
enjoying the longevity associated with light active technology.
100121 The various embodiments described herein accord several advantages over
non-three
dimensional lighting. Other geo-dimensional lighting uses rigid plastic frames
to support either
miniature light strings or LED light strings, for example, in a flat, two-
dimensional arrangement,
and these frames detract from focus on the pattern and are bulky to store. The
use of a rigid
support structure does not provide for anything but a flat, two-dimensional
lighting apparatus.
This is quite different from the three-dimensionality of the lighting
structure supported by the
collapsible, non-rigid and non-bulky frame of the various embodiments
described herein-a clear
improvement in the art. Three-dimensional lighting, as opposed to a simply
flat, two-
dimensional, is achieved. The degree of three-dimensionality achieved is
somewhat dependant
on the number of sheets or plies of light active technology used or the
intricacy of folding of one
or more sheets of light active technology employed to render a three-
dimensional form, which
may be in a geometrical-pattern (geo-pattern) form though this is not
required. As shown in the
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figures, and discussed below, the three-dimensional lighting may have multiple
sheets of light
active technology material that can be opened, or fanned open from closed,
relatively flat closed
storage, similar to the un-illuminated tissue paper balls, or it may be
comprised of one sheet of
light active technology material. For example, a three-dimensional structure
may be achieved by
fan folding a single sheet of active lighting material. As used herein, a
sheet or ply of light
active material refers to a single formed sheet containing an emissive
electroluminescent layer
composed of a film of organic compounds (in the case of OLED) or a film of
inorganic
compounds (in the case of ILED). A sheet or ply of light active technology
material may be
comprised of lighting of only one color, or it may be comprised of various
sections of varying
colors; consider the red, white and blue colors of a flag, for instance, in a
single sheet.
[0013] The three-dimensional decorative lighting disclosed herein does not
have a structural frame
and is collapsible into a flat shape for easy storage.
[0014] Light active technology, sometimes referred to herein as active
lighting material, provides
advantages in the embodiments herein. The use of active lighting characterized
as being
permanently embossed between sandwich layers and therefore virtually flat,
means that there are
no obtrusive bumps or encapsulated lights to interfere with the simplicity of
the sheet or to be
damaged by some sort of impact on the lighting structure itself. Moreover,
there is a
considerably longer light life associated with light active technology, vastly
longer than that
associated with regular LED lights and particularly current mini-lights often
used in decorative
lighting. Current decorative lighting suffers from increased power loading
when individual
bulbs in a strand burn out, i.e., the reduced resistance causes an increase in
the wattage to the
remaining lights. In time, the power load becomes so high that all of the
remaining lights burn
out at once. And, in the case of OLED, in which arrangement of each of the
OLED light pixels
is in parallel, power overload is mitigated.
100151 The use of light active technology in multi-dimensional lighting allows
for greater flexibility
in selection and arrangement of shapes. Whereas conventional lighting uses
fixed wiring that is
generally limited to a small number, such as three to nine, homogeneous
shapes, the three-
dimensional decorative lighting has "power" strings of various lengths that
are electrified in
parallel and accordingly has multiple attachment points (sockets) so that the
user can mix a
virtually unlimited number of geo-shapes at his choosing and can skip sockets
without having
blank (unlit) sections.
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[0016] Light active technology further provides considerable power savings,
using considerably less
power than current mini-lights and LED lights. It also produces significantly
less heat than
either of the conventional alternatives.
[0017] Three-dimensional dimensional lighting may be manufactured from plastic
laminates having
active lighting and is formed from one or more sheet plies of light active
technology, such as by
die pressing, die cutting, or other mechanical, heat, or light (e.g. laser)
means, that are folded,
secured or otherwise arranged into one or more three-dimensional arrangements
to produce one
or more desired three-dimensional shapes. The edges of the plies of the light
active material can
be sealed in order to protect, as necessary, the diode lighting and powering
circuitry within.
Sheet edges may be sealed by heat, light (e.g. laser), mechanical techniques,
such as die-
pressing, die-cutting under pressure, an adhesive, such as a silicon based
bonding agent, that may
be applied by a sealant gun after the edges are formed. Such treatment not
only permits the
three-dimensional lighting to be used in inclement weather but to also be
directly subjected to
submersion conditions if desired.
[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, a front view of an unopened three-dimensional
lighting structure 100 is
seen, in which only one sheet of light active material is visible. The shape
is that of a snowflake
as indicated by shaped portions 140 but many shapes may be used, as previously
discussed. The
three-dimensional shape has one or more folding elements, shown here as mid-
line creases 110
(indicated by the dashed lines of FIG. 1), holes and/or perforations 120 to
facilitate expansion
from a flat (storage) shape to the three dimensional shape. The edges of the
three-dimensional
shapes in this embodiment will have slots 130 for the insertion of a fastening
element (such as
bead chain 210, for example, of FIG. 2) that will hold the light active sheets
in the three
dimensional shape; such slots are illustrated at the tips at either end of the
horizontal axis of the
three-dimensional structure. The sheets will vary in number depending on the
degree of light
production, size and three dimensionality desired. The sheets may be heat or
laser welded, or
otherwise follned along the ornament's folding elements, such as a midline, by
these folding
element retention elements to provide a hinge point. The light active sheets,
in some
applications, will be mechanically attached along the midline folding element
by appropriate
folding element retention elements such as stainless steel staples or glue. A
hole 160, illustrated
at the top of the three-dimensional lighting structure, is provided for
hanging using wire,
monofilament, hooks, etc. and may be reinforced if necessary by brass or other
material. A
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power supply element, such as power cord 170, shown at the top of the ornament
100, provides
electrical power to the discrete lighting elements of the light active
technology material, whether
they be OLEDs or ILEDs, for example. In FIG. 1, the discrete lighting elements
of the light
active technology material are denoted by reference number 150.
[0019] A three-dimensional decorative lighting may be fixed, variable or both.
Fixed three-
dimensional dimensional lighting has a fixed number of consistent three-
dimensional shapes
permanently attached to a power feed line, such as the power cords evidenced
in FIGs. 1-5.
Variable dimensional lighting will utilize separately selected shapes that are
plugged into
multiple power sockets of a "power string" (various lengths). For either type,
self-adhesive type
fasteners (such as Velcro ) may be used to suspend the power cord on surfaces.
These fasteners
facilitate the removal of the power cord when the three-dimensional lighting
structure is un-
installed.
[0020] The three-dimensional lighting structure's laminate materials may be
clear, opaque or
colored (totally or in selected spots) to provide variety. Various power,
timer, programmable
(such as phased/sequenced), remote switch, etc. illumination arrangements may
be optionally
employed as desired. Such arrangements may be remotely controlled by
programmable means,
such as firmware, controller, and computer. The power supply element(s)
described herein may
be provided with power by any number of power sources, including, but not
limited to, DC
power, AC power, battery power, solar power, low voltage transformer, back-up
supplies, or any
combination thereof.
[0021] FIG. 2 is a top view of a three-dimensional lighting structure 200 in
accordance with certain
embodiments. In this view, an opened, fully three-dimensional ornament has
folding
mechanisms or elements 220, such as creases, slots, perforations at the
appropriate point of the
sheets of light active material 230, 235, 240, 245, 250 and employs a shape
maintainer, referred
to as a fastening element, such as a molded beaded "chain" 210, around the
peripheral of the
three-dimensional structure. The flexibility of sheets 230, 235õ 245, 250 can
be easily seen and
contribute greatly to the pliability and three-dimensional nature of the three-
dimensional
ornament; while sheet 240 is substantially planar and may also be
substantially rigid to lend
structural support to the three-dimensional lighting structure, other sheets
are easily shaped to the
desired ornament shape. The sheets 230, 235, 240, 245, 250 may be affixed to
each other by
means of a folding element retention element such as by using a heat seal or
weather-resistant
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fasteners, such as made of brass or stainless steel, for example. While the
use of folding
mechanisms/elements is apparent along the mid-line of the plies in this
figure, this is by way of
example only and not limitation. For example, other three-dimensional shapes,
such as a box-
kite arrangement may utilize folds/creases other than along the mid-line of
its plies of light active
material. Power cord 260 is used to provide power to the plies of light active
material.
[0022] FIG. 3 illustrates storage of a three-dimensional lighting structure
300 in accordance with
certain embodiments. This top view of structure 300 shows that the structure
may be collapsed
(after removal of the beaded "chain" shape maintainer/fastening element of
FIG. 2, for example)
and sandwiched down into a smaller version for storage, due to the use of
flexible active lighting
and the corresponding absence of a rigid frame structure. The folding element
creases 320,
perforations at the center of the structure, are the locations at which
folding of the sheets 230,
235, 245, 250 occurs, and are still visible, as indicated by the parallel,
vertical lines shown in the
center. Power cord 330 is used to provide power to the plies of light active
material.
[0023] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a three-dimensional lighting structure
400 in accordance with
certain embodiments. This view illustrates what an exemplary three-dimensional
lighting
structure might look like and is presented as an aesthetically pleasing
snowflake shape. It can be
seen that the folding elements 470, shown as center folding creases, or
slotting, perforations, etc.
in the middle of the design are evident, as are the perforated patterns 440
repeated in each sheet
410, 420, 430 of the three-dimensional lighting structure. While the
perforations 440 in this
example are shown as diamond shaped, any size or shape may be utilized and may
have a
positive impact on three-dimensional lighting structure performance. For
example, as the size of
the perforations increases, the amount of wind resistance offered by the three-
dimensional
lighting structure lessens.
[0024] The power cord 450 is clearly shown going to each layer or sheet of
light active material 410,
420, 430, as are the dashed representations of same 450', 450" for the bottom
two layers
indicates that they may either be powered separately or together with the top
layer. Either way,
when power is provided to the light active material of the sheets via power
cord 450, the lighting
of every layer is powered. Power cord 450 (450', 450") provides electrical
power to the discrete
lighting elements of the light active technology material, whether they be
OLEDs or ILEDs, for
example. The discrete lighting elements of the light active technology
material are denoted by
reference number 460.
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[0025] FIG. 5 is a bottom view of a three-dimensional lighting structure 500
in accordance with
certain embodiments. In this view, a chain shape maintainer or fastening
element 510 around the
periphery of the three-dimensional lighting structure to hold the three sheets
of light active
material 520, 530, 540 open in position is evident. At the center, the use of
an optional end clip
550, a fastening element useful for maintaining the desired three-dimensional
shape of the three-
dimensional lighting structure while open, is shown. It is noted here that
only three sheets of
light active material 520, 530, 540 are shown, but any number of sheets may be
used within the
spirit and scope of the invention. Fastening element 550 may be made of
plastic or other
substantially rigid material. As a shape retainer, end clip 550 accepts the
ends of sheets 520,
530, 540 as shown into grooves into which the sheets may snugly fit.
[0026] Referring now to FIG. 6, an exemplary rectangular shaped three-
dimensional lighting
structure 600 is illustrated, in accordance with various embodiments. This
ornament 600 has six
sides: a top 610, a bottom 620, a back side 630 in which a candle-shaped
lighting figure is
shown, a left side 640 in which a star-shaped lighting figure 645 is shown, a
front side 650 with a
snowflake-shaped lighting figure 655, and a right side 660 in which a snowman-
shaped figure
665 is shown. It can be seen that each of the four sides with patterned
lighting, each has its own
arrangement of lights within the side to create a unique design, whether it be
a snowman, a
snowflake, a star or a candle. The "x" symbols on the drawing indicate the
presence of the
lighting elements within the sheet(s)/ply(s) of active lighting material for a
particular side of the
ornament. The placement of the lighting elements to create the lighting image
of a desired shape
of each of the four sides may occur by appropriate placement of the lighting
elements during
manufacture, such as by proper placement of the elements by means of "pick and
place"
manufacturing or the like. And, while the shapes may be made by using the
lighting elements to
simply outline the desired shape, it can be seen by reference to the candle
shape 635, for
example, that lighting elements may be used to fill in a design as well; the
lighting elements
within a design may be evenly spaced or not. Moreover, the desired decorative
shape may be
formed by some combination of lighting and shading, such as by placement of
lighting elements
on a field of colored material. In this manner, the lighting may be used to
simply enhance the
effect of a colored or shaded portion of the active lighting material. The
lighting elements
employed in the three-dimensional lighting structure may themselves be of
varying colors. As
examples of the above, consider a painted angel may be accentuated by the
placement of a halo
fornied by lighting elements, one or more candles enhanced by placement of
lighting elements to
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represent candle flames, and a holiday tree with lighting elements
strategically placed to yield
the desired effect.
[0027] Any given three-dimensional lighting structure may theoretically be
comprised of one sheet
or ply of light active material, as illustrated in FIG. 8, or multiple sheets
of material, as shown in
FIGs. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7, for example. When a single sheet of light active
material is used, folding
of the sheet at one or more folding elements to create a three-dimensional
surface together with a
fastening element to hold the three-dimensional shaping into place defines a
three-dimensional
lighting structure.
[0028] Referring now to FIG. 7, it can be seen that the rectangular three-
dimensional lighting
structure 700 is comprised of six different sheets/plies of active lighting
material: top 710;
bottom 720; back side 730 having a candle-shaped figure 735 comprised of
lighting elements
powered by power cord 737; left side 740 having a star-shaped figure 745
comprised of lighting
elements powered by power cord 747; front side 750 having a snowflake-shaped
figure 755
comprised of lighting elements powered by power cord 757; and a right side 760
having a
snowman-shaped figure 765 comprised of lighting elements powered by power cord
767. It can
be seen that each separate sheet of light active material has its own power
cord to power lighting
elements within that particular sheet. The sheets of light active material are
smaller but more
power cords must be dealt with.
[0029] Conversely to FIG. 7 in which a three-dimensional lighting structure is
formed from multiple
sheets of material, FIG. 8 illustrates that a similarly shaped ornament may be
formed from one
sheet/ply of light active material. Ornament 800 is formed from a single
sheet/ply 810 of light
active material having various sections that when folded along folding
elements 820 form a six-
sided rectangular shaped, three-dimensional lighting structure with shapes
830, 840, 850, 860 as
shown in FIG. 6.
A particular advantage of the unitary ornament 800 is that only a single
power cord is needed to power all lighting elements within the single sheet
810. It is noted that
any number of sheets of light active material may be utilized to create the
three-dimensional
lighting structure. Thus, while FIG. 7 illustrates multiple sheets and FIG. 8
illustrates one sheet,
it is understand that any number of sheets, including up to a theoretically
infinite number of
sheets may be employed so long as the result is a three-dimensional light
active structure that
retains its three-dimensional nature by means of a fastening element.
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[0030] As previously mentioned, folding elements, such as bends, creases,
perforated portions, etc.
may be along the center or midline of a sheet of light active material. Top
view 900 of FIG. 9
illustrates that this limitation is not a requirement of the various
embodiments. Ply/sheet of light
active material 910 has two folding elements, 920 and 930, both of which are
off-center, not
mid-line, with respect to sheet 910. It is noted that such folding elements
920 and 930 are
particularly useful in the creation of non-symmetrical three-dimensional
lighting structure
shapes. Examples of non-symmetrical three-dimensional ornaments might include
animal
shapes, nature shapes (flowers, trees), etc.
100311 While it is envisioned that a fastening element may be used to fasten
together two or more
sheets of light active material, it may also be used to fasten a single sheet
or ply of material to
itself, at appropriate fastening points to help retain three-dimensional
shapes created by shaping
the one or more sheets of light active material. Such might be the case, for
example, where a
three-dimensional shape is created from a single sheet or from a small number
of sheets which
are, at various locations, are self-attached or fastened. For example,
consider that the petals of a
flower are made from a single sheet and feature the appearance of separate,
wavy petals by self-
attaching the material at the start of a new petal, much like the art of
origami. The folds to be
affixed are folded edges of the same sheet/ply of material. The fastening
element may be made
of weather-resistant material, such as plastic, brass or stainless steel.
And, as previously
mentioned, the fastening element for fastening two or more plies/sheets of
material may also be
affixed to each other using a heat seal or weather-resistant fasteners, such
as made of plastic,
brass or stainless steel, for example; FIG. 10 illustrates a clip that may be
used for this purpose.
Velcro or glue may be used as a fastening element, in addition to the clips of
FIGs. 5 and 10, and
the beaded chain of FIGs. 2 and 5. And, FIG. 5 provides an illustration that
one or more
fastening elements may be used in combination; that drawing illustrates the
use of a beaded
chain together with an end clip.
[0032] Referring now to FIG. 10, an exemplary clip serves as a fastening
element for fastening
together the light active material is shown. Clip element 1000 is comprised of
a unitary body
portion 1010, foimed as a substantially u-shaped body. Proximate either
lateral end of the body
portion 1010, substantially round projections, herein referred to as dimplets
1020, are formed
along the inside surface of body portion 1010 and may be integral unitary body
portion 1010;
conversely, they may be separately formed by affixed to the inside surface of
body portion 1010
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as shown. Clip element 1000 fits snugly over the ends of two or more
surfaces/edges of light
active material and the dimplets 1010 are designed to match up with
corresponding depressions
1030 found within the surface of the light active material sheet being
fastened together. Here,
there are three sheets/folded edges of light active material being fastened
together in which the
two outer sheets/folded edges of material have the depressions suitable for
receiving the dimplets
1020 when clip assembly 1000 is forced over the three sheets/folded edges of
material.
[0033] It is further understood that fastening elements serve to retain the
three-dimensional shape of
the lighting structure formed by folding/bending one or more sheets of light
active material. For
example, it is further envisioned that a fastening element, in addition to the
clips, beaded chain
and self-adhesive means discussed above, can be provided by a tab portion that
can be mated
with a slot portion upon folding the sheet(s) along the one or more folding
element lines. The
tab portion in an exemplary embodiment may be formed along an edge of one
sheet of light
active material. The slot portion may be formed elsewhere in the same sheet or
in another sheet,
but is operable to receive the tab portion when the one sheet is folded along
the one or more
folding elements to mate the tab portion to the slot portion. Once the tab and
slot portions are
mated, other fastening elements, described above, can be optionally used to
strengthen the
fastening/retaining function of the fastening element. Moreover, any number of
slots and
corresponding tabs may be used as desired.
[0034] Consider again, for example, FIGs. 8 and 9. In FIG. 8, formed of one
sheet of light active
material, either or both of the portions that will serve as top and bottom
surfaces when the sheet
is followed along folding elements 820 may operate as tab portions that may be
inserted into a
mating edge portion of the sheet that serves a slot function. This may be
further enhanced by
extending the length of the tab portion(s) to be retained within a slot edge
to which it is mated.
Once the tab(s) and slot(s) portions are mated, they may be further retained
in place by the
application of one or more additional fastening elements, such as tape, glue
or velcro, that serve
to bolster the retention function.
[0035] Furthermore, it may be considered that folding elements, such as
perforations along which a
sheet(s) may be folded may additionally serve a slot function. Consider that
the dashed line that
represents folding line 920 in FIG. 9 could be representative of one or more
slot portions that
function to receive one or more tab portions that may be mated to them by the
folding process.
Of course, folding the sheet along folding line 920 also may be considered to
form a tab portion.
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And, the use of two such sheets of material as sheet 910 in this manner would
demonstrate
corresponding tab and slot portions.
[0036] In accordance with further example implementations, it is desired to
provide increased visual
impact to three-dimensional lighting structures that employ active light
technology. This may be
accomplished by using two sheets of light active material, which may be
affixed one to the other
back-to-back, such as by gluing, stapling, etc. to create a double-faced sheet
of light active
material in a manner that each individual sheet of light active material of
the double-faced sheet
of light active material radiates light in an outward facing direction so that
light radiates from the
front and the back of the double-faced sheet of light active material. In a
thus formed double-
faced sheet of light active material, the backs or backing of two opposedly
facing sheets of light
active material that have active lighting elements such as ILEDs or OLEDs, for
example, may be
attached to the other such that the lighting elements radiate outward from
both the front and the
back surfaces of the formed double-faced sheet of light active material. The
individual sheets of
light active material placed back-to-back are each non-rigid, flexible,
foldable sheets of light
active material, with each sheet having a number of lighting elements that are
sandwiched
between two or more laminate layers and have emissive electroluminescent
material. Each sheet
also has circuitry coupled to the light elements within. The double-faced
sheet of light active
material formed from two opposedly facing sheets of light active material is
also non-rigid,
flexible, and foldable.
[0037] A variety of techniques and material, including, but not limited to,
dimple clips, staples,
adhesive, laser or heat sealing or welding may be employed to attach the
individual sheets of
light active material together, back-to-back, to fonn the double-faced sheet
of light active
material. The folding element(s) and fastening element(s) discussed previously
to fold the sheets
of light active material and to retain the sheets in a three-dimensional form
are still applicable to
this implementation and embodiment. In a three-dimensional lighting structure,
this is
particularly advantageous as the amount of light radiating outward may be at
least essentially
doubled over the single sheet of light active material discussed previously.
[0038] A three-dimensional lighting structure made of one or more double-faced
sheets of light
active material is thus disclosed. A 3-D lighting structure may be formed of a
single double-
faced sheet of light active material, such as illustrated in FIG. 8, for
example. A 3-D lighting
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structure may also be formed of multiple double faced sheets of light active
material, as
illustrated in several of the drawings, including FIGs. 11-16.
[0039] Reference to FIGs. 11-16 illustrate double-faced sheets of light active
material in three-
dimensional lighting structures. Referring now to FIG. 11, a three-dimensional
lighting structure
1100 having five double-faced sheets of light active material is illustrated.
A first double-faced
sheet of light active material is formed by two individual sheets 1115, 1120
attached to one
another back-to-back, opposedly facing, so that light 1170 radiates from both
sides of the double-
faced sheet as shown. A second double-faced sheet of light active material is
formed by two
individual sheets 1125, 1130 attached to one another back-to-back so that
light 1170 radiates
from both sides of the double-faced sheet as shown. A third double-faced sheet
of light active
material is formed by two individual sheets 1135, 1140 attached to one another
back-to-back so
that light 1170 radiates from both sides of the double-faced sheet as shown. A
fourth double-
faced sheet of light active material is formed by two individual sheets 1145,
1150 attached to one
another back-to-back so that light 1170 radiates from both sides of the double-
faced sheet as
shown. A fifth double-faced sheet of light active material is formed by two
individual sheets
1155, 1160 attached to one another back-to-back so that light 1170 radiates
from both sides of
the double-faced sheet as shown. Bead chain 210 is used to hold the formed
three-dimensional
structure in place. Each of the individual sheets of a double-faced sheet of
light active material,
such as sheets 1115 and 1120, for example, may be adhered back-to-back such as
by adhesive,
heat sealing or the like. It is noted that while light 1170 radiating from
both sides of the double-
faced sheets is shown, not every sheet of light active material or even every
double-faced sheet
of light active material need be active or illuminated at any given time. For
example, the active
light elements may flash on or off, or in some sequence, for example.
[0040] FIG. 12 illustrates another example implementation in which the
individual light active
sheets that form a double-faced sheet of light active material three-
dimensional lighting structure
1200 may be coupled together, back-to-back with light active lighting elements
radiating
outward 1170 from both sides of the formed double-faced sheet of light active
material, by clips,
such as those also previously described in connection with FIG. 10. In this
embodiment, dimple
clips 1210 are used to attach the two individual sheets 1115, 1120, 1125,
1130, 1135, 1140,
1145, 1150 together, back-to-back, and to retain this attachment. The
individual sheets may
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further also be attached one to the other by the use of adhesive, staples,
laser or heat welding if
needed or desired.
100411 Reference to FIG. 13 illustrates a view of a collapsed lighting
structure 1300 formed of a
number of double-faced sheets of light active material. The five double-faced
sheets of light
active material, such as those illustrated in FIG. 11 or FIG. 12, after
removal of the beaded
"chain" shape maintainer/fastening element 210 and clip elements 1210, for
example, may be
collapsed and sandwiched down into a smaller version or a less voluminous
shape for storage,
due to the use of flexible active lighting and the corresponding absence of a
rigid frame structure.
The folding element creases 320, perforations at the center of the structure,
are the locations at
which folding of the sheets 230, 235, 245, 250 occurs, and are still visible,
as indicated by the
parallel, vertical lines shown in the center. Power cord 330 is used to
provide power to the plies
or sheets of light active material.
[0042] FIG. 14 is an exploded view of a three-dimensional lighting structure
1400 having three
double-faced sheets of light active material, in accordance with certain
implementations. In this
example, a first double-faced sheet of light active material is formed by two
individual sheets
1410 (top sheet), 1415 (bottom sheet) attached to one another back-to-back so
that light may
radiate from both sides of the double-faced sheet when the lighting elements
are active. A
second double-faced sheet of light active material is formed by two individual
sheets 1420 (top
sheet), 1425 (bottom sheet) attached to one another back-to-back so that light
may radiate from
both sides of the double-faced sheet when the lighting elements are active. A
third double-faced
sheet of light active material is formed by two individual sheets 1430 (top
sheet), 1435 (bottom
sheet) attached to one another back-to-back so that light may radiate from
both sides of the
double-faced sheet when the lighting elements are active.
[0043] This view illustrates what an exemplary three-dimensional lighting
structure that employs
double-faced sheets of light active material might look like and is presented
as an aesthetically
pleasing snowflake shape. It can be seen that the folding elements 470, shown
as center folding
creases, or slotting, perforations, etc. in the middle of the design are
evident, as are the perforated
patterns 440 repeated in each of the three sheets of the three-dimensional
lighting structure.
While the perforations 440 in this example are shown as diamond shaped, any
size or shape may
be utilized and may have a positive impact on three-dimensional lighting
structure performance.
CA 02809626 2013-03-15
For example, as the size of the perforations increases, the amount of wind
resistance offered by
the three-dimensional lighting structure lessens.
[0044] The power cord 450 may be used to power each layer or sheet of light
active material 1410,
1415, 1420, 1425, 1430, 1435; power cords 450', 450" may also be used to power
the bottom
two double-faced light active layers formed of individual layers 1420, 1425
and 1430, 1435,
respectively. Either way, when power is provided to the light active material
of the double-faced
sheets of light active material, the lighting of every layer may be powered
and light radiates from
both sides of the double-faced sheets of light active material. Power cord 450
(450', 450")
provides electrical power to the discrete lighting elements of the individual
sheets of light active
technology material, whether they be OLEDs or ILEDs, for example. The discrete
lighting
elements of the light active technology material are denoted by reference
number 460.
[0045] FIGs. 15 and 16 illustrate bottom views of three-dimensional lighting
structures 1500 and
1600 foinied of double-faced sheets of light active material, in accordance
with certain
implementations and embodiments. In FIG. 15, a chain shape maintainer or
fastening element
510 around the periphery of the three-dimensional lighting structure to hold
the three double-
faced sheets of light active material (formed of individual sheets 1515, 1520,
1525, 1530, 1535,
1540 as shown) open in the three-dimensional structure formed. At the center,
the use of an
optional end clip 550, a fastening element useful for maintaining the desired
three-dimensional
shape of the three-dimensional lighting structure while open, is shown. It is
noted here that only
three doubled-faced sheets of light active material are shown, but any number
of double-faced
light active sheets may be used within the spirit and scope of the invention.
Fastening element
550 may be made of plastic or other substantially rigid material. As a shape
retainer, end clip
550 accepts the ends of sheets 1515, 1520, 1525, 1530, 1535, 1540 as shown
into grooves into
which the sheets may snugly fit. Light 1170 radiating out both sides of each
double-faced sheet
of light active material is illustrated. Further, in FIG. 16, clips 1610, such
as dimple clips
discussed previously in connection with FIGs. 10 and 12, may be used to affix
or attach and
retain together the two individual sheets or plys of light active material
that make up a double-
faced sheet of light active material. It is noted that not every double-faced
sheet needs to employ
a clip 1610 to secure the two sheets of light active material.
[0046] From the foregoing, it can be seen that consistent with certain
implementations, a three-
dimensional lighting structure may have one or more one non-rigid, flexible,
foldable double-
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faced sheets of light active material, with each double-faced sheet of light
active material formed
of two opposedly facing sheets of light active material arranged back-to-back
and configured to
emit light from front and back sides of the one double-faced sheet of light
active material. As
previously discussed, each of the two opposedly facing sheet of light active
material has lighting
elements that are sandwiched between two or more laminate layers and that have
emissive
electroluminescent material and have circuitry coupled to the plurality of
light elements within.
Further, one or more folding elements are coupled to the double-faced sheet(s)
of light active
material, with a collapsible three-dimensional lighting structure formed of
the double-faced
sheet(s) of light active material and the at least one folding element. A
power supply element to
provide power to the circuitry is coupled to the lighting elements of the two
opposedly facing
sheets of light active material. A fastening element is coupled to the double-
faced sheet(s) of
light active material at at least one fastening point of the double-faced
sheet(s) of light active
material and removably retains the collapsible three-dimensional lighting
structure in a three-
dimensional form.
[0047] Also, consistent with certain implementations, a three-dimensional
lighting structure may be
created by: folding at least one non-rigid, flexible, foldable double-faced
sheet of light active
material formed of two opposedly facing sheets of light active material
arranged back-to-back
and configured to emit light from front and back sides of the at least one
double-faced sheet of
light active material along at least one folding element to create a
collapsible three-dimensional
lighting structure, with each of the two opposedly facing sheets of light
active material having
lighting elements that are sandwiched between two or more laminate layers and
that have
emissive electroluminescent material and each of the two opposedly facing
sheets of light active
material having circuitry coupled to the light elements; and removably
retaining the three-
dimensional lighting structure by activating a fastening element to retain the
three-dimensional
lighting structure created by folding the at least one double-faced sheet of
light active material
along the at least one folding element.
[0048] A method of manufacture of a three-dimensional lighting structure
formed of one or more
double-faced sheets of light active material includes: providing at least one
non-rigid, flexible,
foldable double-faced sheet of light active material formed of two opposedly
facing sheets of
light active material arranged back-to-back and configured to emit light from
front and back
sides of the at least one double-faced sheet of light active material, with
each of the two
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opposedly facing sheets of light active material having lighting elements that
are sandwiched
between two or more laminate layers and that have emissive electroluminescent
material and
each of the two opposedly facing sheets of light active material having
circuitry coupled to the
lighting elements; providing the at least one non-rigid, flexible, foldable
double-faced sheet of
light active material with at least one folding element along which the double-
faced sheet of light
active material is foldable; and providing a fastening element to removably
retain a collapsible
three-dimensional lighting structure created when the double-faced sheet of
light active material
is folded along the at least one folding element.
[0049] In the foregoing specification, specific embodiments of the present
invention have been
described. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various
modifications and
changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention
as set forth in the
claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in
an illustrative
rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be
included within the
scope of present invention. The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems,
and any element(s)
that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more
pronounced are not
to be construed as a critical, required, or essential features or elements of
any or all the claims.
The invention is defined solely by the appended claims including any
amendments made during
the pendency of this application and all equivalents of those claims as
issued.
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