Electric lamp and discharge devices – With luminescent solid or liquid material – Solid-state type
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-27
2004-01-27
Jackson, Jerome (Department: 2815)
Electric lamp and discharge devices
With luminescent solid or liquid material
Solid-state type
C313S486000, C313S496000, C313S461000, C257S010000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06683409
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structured lighting material, a method to generate incoherent luminescence employing the structured lighting material, and an illuminator comprising the structured lighting material which emits light when energy is externally applied thereto.
2) Description of the Related Art
To date, various luminescent devices have been developed which emit light in response to energy being externally applied thereto (for example, using an electron beam). Such luminescent devices have come into widespread use in display applications using a cathode-ray tube, a projection tube or the like (ef. Phosphor Handbook, by S. Shionoya and W. M. Chen, CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla., 1998). The present invention concerns a specific structured lighting material to be used in a luminescent device as described below.
A description will be given hereinbelow of a conventional luminescent device with reference to FIGS.
11
(A) and
11
(B). A luminescent device comprises a metal-made substrate (base)
102
and a luminescent unit
103
made by placing a phosphor on the substrate
102
in the form of a layer.
In such a configuration, the luminescent device emits light when the host of a phosphor constituting the luminescent unit
103
is excited by electric energy such as electron beam, electric charge or electric field applied from the external. Thus, the luminescent device can convert the inputted electric energy (excitation energy) into luminescence to be outputted.
Although the luminescence or emission intensity of the luminescent device generally increases monotonically with an increase in an excitation energy inputted from the external, the degree of increase is prone to drop if the excitation energy quantity exceeds an energy quantity; if the excitation energy quantity further increases, the luminescent intensity reaches a saturation or decreases (cf. Phosphor Handbook, by S. Shionoya and W. M. Yen, CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla., 1998, p.489-p.498). When a correlation between electron beam current (current value) A acting as excitation energy and luminescence intensity are shown on a log-log graph and the inclination (which will be referred to hereinafter as an “input-output differential variation”) &thgr;[=&Dgr; log(I)/&Dgr; log(A)] of the line representing this correlation assumes a positive value, it is referred to as a monotonic increase.
The input-output differential variation of the conventional luminescent device is apt to get worse as the input energy such as electron beam increases.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been developed in consideration of such a situation, and it is therefore an object of the invention to provide a structured lighting material wherein luminescent intensity increases superlinearly when excitation energy based on electron beam, electric charge or electric field exceeds a threshold.
In the present invention, the term “superlinearly” signifies that the input-output differential variation &thgr; increases when applied energy exceeds a threshold. In most cases, when the applied energy is below the threshold, the input-output differential variation &thgr; assumes less than 1. On the other hand, it becomes 1 or more when the applied energy is above the threshold.
For this purpose, a structured lighting material according to the first aspect of the present invention is characterized by comprising a luminescent unit wherein the intensity of incoherent luminescence increases superlinearly when energy applied in a non-contact manner exceeds a threshold.
This arrangement, wherein the luminescent intensity of the luminescent unit increases superlinearly when the electric energy given in a non-contact manner exceeds the threshold, can be incorporated into a wide range of applications. For example, the application to various types of illuminations is feasible owing to its high-efficient luminescence. As a further advantage, it is also applicable to detection equipment, alarm equipment or the like because the magnitude of the electric energy can be monitored from the luminescence intensity of the luminescent unit. Furthermore, the application to memories or various types of control devices becomes feasible because the luminescent intensity varies rapidly around a threshold so that the variation of the luminescent intensity is extracted as on/off signals in a state where reference is set to the threshold.
In accordance with a further feature of the present invention, in the structured lighting material stated above as the first aspect of the invention, the luminescent color of the luminescent unit varies as the input energy increased beyond the threshold.
This provides easy visual confirmation of the variation of the state of the luminescent unit.
In accordance with a further feature of the present invention, in the structured lighting material stated above as the first aspect of the invention, the energy is electric energy originating from any one of electron beam, electric charge and electric field.
This allows an energy applying means in a conventional structured lighting material (such as a conventional luminescent device) to be available as it is.
In accordance with a further feature of the present invention, in the structured lighting material stated above as the first aspect of the invention, the luminescent part has a non-electrical conductive property.
This can provide advantages of securing electrification property of the luminescent unit, generating rapid increase of the luminescent intensity beyond a threshold and effective variation of luminescent color, and developing such variation in the intensity and color of the luminescent unit with low applied energy.
A structured lighting material according to the second aspect of the present invention is characterized by comprising a luminescent unit which shows a non-electrical conductive property and has a microscopic or minute uneven surface, wherein the luminescent intensity increases superlinearly when energy applied to the minute uneven surface in a non-contact manner exceeds a threshold.
The effects similar to those of the structured lighting material according to the first aspect of the invention are attainable, because the luminescent intensity of the luminescent unit increases superlinearly and the luminescent color of the luminescent part varies, when electric energy applied to the minute uneven surface in a non-contact manner exceeds the threshold.
In addition, the luminescent intensity higher than that of a conventional structured lighting material is assured, which realize a high-output illuminator.
Still additionally, the requirement for the luminescent unit is only the realization of the minute uneven surface, and various kinds of knowledge concerned with the conventional structured lighting materials can be put directly to practical use.
In accordance with a further feature of the present invention, in the structured lighting material stated above as the second aspect of the invention, the minute uneven surface is formed in a manner that the thickness of the luminescent unit is made non-uniform.
This allows easy formation of the minute uneven surface simply by making the thickness of the luminescent unit non-uniform. The effects similar to those of the structured lighting material according to the second aspect of the invention are attainable.
In accordance with a further feature of the present invention, in the structured lighting material stated above as the second aspect of the invention, the minute uneven surface has high and low portions respectively corresponding to maximum and minimum thicknesses of the luminescent unit, and the maximum thickness is set to be three or more times said minimum thickness.
This makes the unevenness of the luminescent unit surface effective, and the effects similar to those of the above-mentioned structured lighting material is assured.
In addition, in accordance with a further feature of the present invention, in the structured lighting material stated above a
Mikami Masayoshi
Nakamura Shin-ichiro
Yamamoto Hajime
Jackson Jerome
Katten Muchin Zavis & Rosenman
Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation
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