Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems – Plural power supplies – Plural cathode and/or anode load device
Patent
1990-07-26
1991-08-20
Pascal, Robert J.
Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems
Plural power supplies
Plural cathode and/or anode load device
313493, 313634, H01J 3300
Patent
active
050417622
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a luminous panel, with a light source based on gas discharge, wherein the luminous panel comprises a matrix in the form of a gas tight, shockproof, impact resistant, transparent or translucent material, and the light source is designed as at least one light channel in the matrix. More particularly the invention concerns luminous panels of the above-mentioned type with luminous areas which may have arbitrary geometry and extent and wherein their length and shape essentially are limited by the geometry and dimensions of the luminous panel.
Luminous panels of this type may be used both indoors and outdoors for ordinary lighting purposes, but will be especially well suited for decorative illumination, including in art objects, light sculptures and decoration on building structures etc. Especially the panel will also be suited as marking and security lighting, where they may be exposed to mechanical and environmental stresses that would make conventional light sources unsuitable. Among such uses there may be mentioned lighting for marking road shoulders, traffic lanes, traffic zones of different kind, including pedestrian zones and pavement shoulders and marking lights on runways and taxi strips for aircrafts. Further is may be mentioned that the panels are well suited as stairway lighting and corridor lighting, as they may be built into floors, walls, steps, banisters etc. Still further the luminous panels may be employed in sports installations, including swimming pools. In a particular embodiment the luminous panels may be used as traffic and wall signs, in larger displays and for advertising purposes.
As mentioned in the introduction, the light source of the luminous panels is preferably based on gas discharge. Light sources in the form of gas discharge tubes have previously been used for a plurality of the above-mentioned purposes, but if they are to be used in locations where they may be exposed to large mechanical and environmental stresses, this requires extensive measures when fitting the light source. Either expensive and to some extent complicated special light fittings must be used if they are not built into the object or on locations where they are put to use. This is also cost demanding and may additionally cause problems in connection with maintenance and replacement. The building in and securing of for instance gas discharge tubes against great external loads will furthermore have the disadvantage that they very often become less suited for the intended lighting purpose, for instance in that the light output is reduced due to fitting measures, that the illumination area is reduced and the use for a particular lighting purpose generally becomes suboptimal and less flexible. In addition the electrical connections and lines of the lighting source may in such cases offer problems, as an installation which protects against great external loads easily may complicate the electrical design, wiring, and the installation of units such as drivers, contacts and wires.
In several of the above-mentioned uses it would be desirable to use extended, flat light sources, i.e. light sources which do not appear as approximate points or lines or plane curves, but on the contrary as extended, flat light sources which give an essentially uniform light intensity over the total surface of the light source. By most known light sources this may only be achieved by mounting the light source in a fitting where the light openings comprise a material which is translucent to the light from the light source, and which further contributes to scatter the light and make it diffuse, in order that the material of the light opening appears as a uniform, luminous surface. Such measures will usually lead to a reduced light output and may further cause the same problems as mentioned above concerning the use of conventional light sources in environments which demand resistance against external loads. Examples of light sources of the above types may be found in for instance EP-A-222 928 and GB-A-2 165 344.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4584501 (1986-04-01), Cocks et al.
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