Edge-lit engraved glass for LED RGB lighting

Abstract

(Main claim): Transparent plate made of glass, acrylic or mirror glass with engraved structures arranged on at least one surface, wherein at least one light source couples light into at least one edge of the plate, such that the light is guided within the plate by total internal reflection and selectively exits the plate exclusively at the engraved structures.

Description

Technical field:

[0001] The invention relates to transparent components made of glass, acrylic, or mirrored glass, which are illuminated by means of laterally coupled LED light, so that engraved structures become selectively visible. The solution is suitable for shop windows, interior design, brand presentation, and decorative applications. State of the art:

[0002] Backlit panels and sandblasted / frosted surfaces are well-known. However, these do not create precise lighting zones limited to engravings. Multicolored light separations or spatial effects are hardly achievable. Purpose of the invention:

[0003] Provision of a system in which light is emitted exclusively from engraved structures, remaining visible in daylight and shining clearly in the dark. Additionally, color accentuations and depth effects should be possible. Solution:

[0004] A transparent plate with engravings, into which light is coupled via at least one edge. The light remains within the material through total internal reflection and only emerges at altered material areas.

[0005] For particularly strong effects, two glass plates can be used: - Front disc: Contour engraving - rear window: surface engraving

[0006] This enables parallax and color effects. Advantages: - Clearly visible in daylight - Very clear with LED lighting - Multicolored lighting effects possible - Depth effect in two-layer engraving - Ideal for shop windows, interiors, design objects, mirrors, and frame art Example implementation: The Fig. 1 and Fig.Figure 2 shows exemplary embodiments of the invention. The illustration serves solely to clarify the functional principle and does not limit the scope of protection. Variants:

[0007] The invention is not limited to the forms shown. Variants with different LED colors, multiple engraving levels, different glass thicknesses, or alternative light sources are possible and also fall within the scope of protection. The two engraving levels can be directly adjacent to each other (e.g., picture frames) or separated by a gap (e.g., insulating glass with a chamber width of 2–16 mm). Both variants are covered by the invention.

Claims

[1] (Main claim): Transparent plate made of glass, acrylic or mirror glass with engraved structures arranged on at least one surface, wherein at least one light source couples light into at least one edge of the plate, such that the light is guided within the plate by total internal reflection and exits the plate selectively only at the engraved structures. [2] System according to claim 1, wherein the plate is illuminated by single-color or multi-color LED light sources and the light color can be changed via a switching device, remote control or mobile application. [3] System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein two or more independent LED light sources are coupled into different edges of the plate or into different plates to create spatially separated or colour-different illuminating areas. [4] System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein engraving structures are carried out on at least two different planes of the same plate or on two parallel plates, so that a spatial depth effect (parallax effect) is created. [5] System according to any of the preceding claims, used as a shop window element, interior or wall panel, room divider, mirror with luminous engraving or framed decorative light picture.

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