Abstract:
Illumination of stationary objects to provide adequate illumination in rooms and/or hallways, along walkways, on stairs, around swimming pools, etc. to prevent accidents and illuminate obstacles, leading people to entrances and/or exits and the like. Similarly, illumination of stationary objects may be for decorative purposes.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of the earlier filing date of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/938,404, filed in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on filed 16-MAY-2007 the entire contents, which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention pertains to illumination and, more particularly, to the illumination of stationary objects. 
         [0003]    It is frequently desirable, if not mandatory, to provide adequate illumination in rooms and/or hallways, along walkways, on stairs, around swimming pools, etc. to prevent accidents, Illuminate obstacles, lead people to entrances and/or exits and the like. Similarly, it is frequently desirable to utilize illumination for decorative purposes. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The invention herein provides a method and system for accomplishing this, while permitting the light source to be located in a place that is easily accessible to authorized personnel for replacement if needed. 
         [0005]    Briefly, one or more optical fiber cables communicate with one or more light sources at a proximal end and one or more optically transmissive (e.g., transparent or frosted) tiles or optical panels at a distal end to decoratively illuminate an area and/or to mark the location of obstacles, pathways or locations so they can easily be identified in a dark or dim environment. The tiles can be any of numerous colors and/or color combinations, as can the light source(s). The resulting system can, for example, be used to lead building occupants to safety, help occupants avoid injury when entering an otherwise dark room, and guide pedestrians around hazards such as pools and other architectural features. 
         [0006]    Another aspect of the invention provides an illumination method and system that produces a highly decorative effect by backlighting tiles. The tiles may form an illuminated matrix that cooperatively form a work of art, or may be laid out along walls, stairs, furniture and the like to provide illumination that can be static, dynamic or selectively both. In a dynamic mode, the lighting can be responsive to sounds such as music to vary in intensity and/or color to turn the lit surroundings into a visually dynamic environment. 
         [0007]    In the preferred embodiment, one or more optical fiber cables communicate between (1) one or more lights sources at a relatively proximal end region and (2) one or more optical panels at a relatively distal region, and are optically coupled to one or more optically transmissive (e.g., transparent or frosted) tiles via the optical panels. Fiber optic cables and fiber optic panels usable with this invention are, for example, available from Lumitex, Inc. of Strongville, Ohio. The optical fibers within the cable are optically coupled to a light source such as a light bulb, an LED, etc.) at their proximal ends and to the optical panel at respective distal regions along their lengths. The optical panel is preferably uniformly lit by the light exiting from the fibers, and is preferably affixed to the optically transmissive tile via an optically transmissive adhesive, glue or epoxy. The panel can be the same size as the tile; alternatively, it can be smaller than the tile depending on the visual effect that is desired or larger than the tile if one panel is to transmit light to more than one tile. 
         [0008]    The use of the optical panel minimizes or eliminates the occurrence of optical “hot spots” and “dead zones” because it is generally uniformly illuminated by the optical fibers&#39; output. This is particularly true where the light exiting from the optical fiber exits from the side of the fiber rather than its tip, yielding a relatively spatially-dispersed field of illumination. Alternatively, the optical fibers can be coupled at their distal end regions directly to the optically transmissive tiles, although this appears at the time to be more labor-intensive and therefore less desirable. In practice, it has been found that a 40 watt bulb can function as a light source, and that the tiles can be 20 feet to 40 feet away or more from the light source. The light source can also comprise LEDs and LED arrays. In practice, one LED per light panel can be used as well. Regardless of light source type, the light source can accordingly be in a location where it is easily accessible to those who need to service it and/or only to those who are authorized to do so. 
         [0009]    In accordance with the invention, the tiles can be run as a wainscot around a room so that room can be lit at a low but sufficient level all of the time in an energy-efficient manner to permit people to always walk into a lit room. Similarly, the tiles can be laid around the base of the floor, around pools, along walkways, and on stairs. As a result, obstacles and potentially dangerous conditions are always visible. The tiles can also be laid out to illuminate the area in a way that leads pedestrians to and through exit in dark in event of power failure (battery back-up) or emergency. At the same time, minimal heat (if any) is generated at the tile, and there is no electric power that can be contacted by the pedestrian even if the integrity of the tile or structure surrounding the tile is compromised. From both a decorative and functional standpoint, a variety of colors is possible. First, the light source may be any of a number of available color light sources. Further variations can be obtained by using color tiles or multi-color tiles, including stained glass tiles. The pattern of illumination can be varied by shaping the fiber optic panel behind the tile. A backing layer may be used to sandwich the optical panel between the backing and the tile for additional structural support. The tiles may be laid in place directly, or using a bracket. The backlit tile resulting from this invention provides a decorative element and/or a safety feature that is limited only by the designer&#39;s imagination. These and other details will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment, of which the drawing forms a part. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  (comprising  FIG. 1   a - c ) is a front elevation view of an illumination panel assembly constructed in accordance with the invention, with  FIG. 1   c  showing a more refined depiction of the tray therein; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a right side elevation view of the illumination panel assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a rear elevation view of the illumination panel assembly of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a right side elevation view of the rear section of the illumination panel assembly; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a rear elevation view of center section  20  of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a rear elevation view of center section  20  of  FIG. 2  with a backlighting assembly and light source in accordance with the invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a schematic illustration of a backlighting assembly in accordance with the invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a front elevation view of the front section  18  of the illumination assembly shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  is side elevation, bottom plan, and end elevation views of another embodiment of an illumination system constructed in accordance with the invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0019]      FIG. 1   a  is a front elevation view of an illumination panel assembly  10  constructed in accordance with the invention and useful for applications wherein lighting is to be incorporated into a wall in accordance with the invention. The illumination panel assembly  10  is adapted to be mounted, for example, within drywall or other material of an interior wall, and comprises an illumination assembly  12  mounted within a tray  14 , preferably with the front surface of the illumination assembly  12  being flush with the surface of the wall. 
         [0020]    In  FIG. 1 , the illumination assembly  12  has been removed from a portion of the tray  14  to illustrate the preferred structure of the tray. The tray  14  is preferably formed from a fire-rated, injection molded plastic as thick as the intended drywall so that it can be retrofit into any building. The tray  14  is preferably divided into a plurality of tray segments  14   a ,  14   b ,  14   c  that each accommodate a respective illumination assembly  12 . 
         [0021]    In practice, it is desirable to provide the tray in various lengths to accommodate various run-lengths along the wall: e.g., 12 inch, 18 inch, 24 inch, and 36 inch lengths that respectively accommodate 2, 3, 4 and 6 illumination panel assemblies  10  in respective tray segments. Each illumination assembly  12  is preferably grouted or otherwise secured within a respective tray segment. Grouting is preferred in that it permits the illumination panel  12  to be removed from the tray for easy replacement. 
         [0022]    Turning to  FIG. 1   c , each tray  14  includes a pair of side-facing dowel holes  11   a ,  11   b  at its left end, and a pair of side-facing dowel holes  11   c ,  11   d  at its right end. A male or female electrical connector is located in the dowel holes; as will be self-evident, the specific type of connector is not important so long as they provide a means for coupling electric power to the tray segments. An electrical conductor  13   a  extends along the back surface of the tray  14  to electrically couple dowel hole  11   a  and dowel hole  11   c . Similarly, a second electrical connector  13   b  extends along the back surface of the tray  14  to electrically couple dowel hole  11   b  and dowel hole  11   d . The rear face of each of the tray segments  14   a - c  includes a pair or of connector accommodating holes  15   a ,  15   b  that accommodate a respective electrical connector (or conductor) through which power is supplied to the illumination assembly  12  in the tray segment. A pair of terminals  15   c ,  15   d  is accordingly located on the front face of the tray segment and are electrically coupled to the connectors/conductors associated with the holes  15   a ,  15   b  for connection to the illumination assembly  12  in the tray segment. Power can be applied to the illumination panel assemblies  12  in each tray via the electrical connectors in the dowel holes  11   a ,  11   b , or through the connectors/conductors associated with the holes  15   a ,  15   b  of a tray segment. In either case, power is applied to all segments in the tray via conductors  13   a ,  13   b , and the trays themselves can be are electrically “daisy chained” together by interconnecting the connector in dowel holes  11   c ,  11   d  with the electrical connectors in dowel holes  11   a ,  11   b  of the neighboring tray. This flexibility enables an installer to power the illumination assemblies from the most convenient location, whether at one end of the tray deployment or from internal wiring within the wall at one or more intermediate locations along the line of trays. Moreover, the described configuration enables an installer to place trays contiguous to each other, or leave gaps between some or all of them to obtain different visual effects when the illumination panel assemblies  10  are activated while easily powering all of the trays. Trays can be electrically coupled together or arranged as separately powered groups (of one or more trays), with each group being coupled to a different power line or circuit beaker to provide at least a degree of parallel electrical connection that prevents all illumination assemblies  12  from becoming inactive if a fault arises with respect to one of them as in a serial connection arrangement. A plurality of screw (or nail) holes  17  are disposed generally linearly along the top and bottom of the tray segments for accommodating screws (or nails) that secure the tray to studs in the wall. The holes  17  are approximately ¾-inch (1.9 cm) apart to accommodate variations in the relative position of the studs and tray segment. Those skilled in the art will recognize that one or two pairs of screws will normally be sufficient to secure the tray within the wall. 
         [0023]      FIG. 2  is a right side elevation view of the illumination panel assembly  10  depicted in  FIG. 1A . The illumination panel assembly comprises a front section  18 , a central section  20  a rear section  22  and a light-transmitting tile  36  mounted to the front section  18 . An electrical connector  24  protrudes from the rear face of the rear section  22 , and is sized to pass through the hole  16  in the tray  14  when the illumination assembly  12  is mounted within a tray segment. Alternatively, the connector  24  can be replaced by male and/or female connectors located within the holes  15   a ,  15   b  of the tray illustrated in  FIG. 1   c ; this latter configuration avoids the possibility of the connector  24  being damaged during installation or shipment. 
         [0024]      FIG. 3  is a rear elevation view of the illumination panel assembly of  FIG. 2 , illustrating the connector  24  extending through the rear face  22   c  of the rear section  22 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 4  is a right side elevation view of the rear section  22  of  FIG. 3 , illustrating a pair of electric conductors  24   a  extending from the front face  22   a  of the rear section  22 . The conductors  24   a  are electrically coupled to respective terminals in the connector  24 . Alternatively, the conductors  24   a  may be replaced by the terminals  15   c ,  15   d  ( FIG. 1   c ) or may extend from those regions instead of from a connector such as connector  1   24 . The electric conductors  24   a  (or the terminals  15   a ,  15   b ) electrically couple power to a light source positioned within the center section  20 , such as an LED ( FIG. 2 ). 
         [0026]      FIG. 5  is a rear elevation view of center section  20  ( FIG. 2 ). Center section  20  comprises a rear face  20   a  and defines a void  26  that, as illustrated in  FIG. 6 , accommodates an LED  28  that is optically coupled to a plurality of optical fibers  30 . The void  26  is preferably provided with a slot portion  26   a  sized to accommodate the LED and a diverging portion  26   b  that extends outwards towards the side of the center section to accommodate the splayed shape of the optical fibers as they extend from the LED towards their respective distal ends. The center portion  20  is sufficiently thick to permit the center section  20  to abut the front section  18  and rear section  22  ( FIG. 2 ) while accommodating the cross-sectional dimension of the LED  28  ( FIG. 6 ). The optical fibers  30  are part of an optical assembly that comprises a plurality of optical fibers adapted to be coupled at their proximal ends to a source of light such as an LED, and affixed along a substantial portion of their lengths to a transparent, semi-transparent or translucent panel. The optical fibers are processed so that transmitted light is emitted from their sides through its cladding along the substantially entire surface of the panel.  FIG. 7  is a schematic illustration of one such optical assembly available from Lumitex, Inc. under the trademark Poly-Optical® UniGlo® and comprises a ferrule  32  sized and shaped to optically couple a light source to the proximal end of a plurality of side-emitting optical fibers  30 . The optical fibers  30  are affixed along a substantial portion of their lengths to an optical panel  34  so that the light is side-emitted into the panel to substantially evenly illuminate the panel. The optical panel is preferably a fiber panel that uniformly emits a diffuse light over its relatively large surface area. The optical fibers extend from the panel in a cable form for connection to a remote light source such as one or more LEDs. 
         [0027]      FIG. 8  is a front elevation view of the front section  18  of the illumination assembly ( FIG. 2 ). The front section  18  has a front face  18   a  sized and shaped to underlie and support the optical panel  34  ( FIG. 7 ). The front section  18  has a slot  36  through which the optical fibers  30  and/or optical panel  34  can pass from the rear of the front section  18  to its front, as best illustrated in  FIG. 6 . In accordance with the invention, a translucent or transparent tile of glass, stained glass, plastic, onyx, quartz, porcelain, ceramic, stone or other suitable light-transmitting material (hereinafter referred to collectively and individually as “tile”) is affixed to the front face  18   a  of front section  18  to provide the desired decorative or visual effect when lit from beneath by the illumination assembly. The tile  36  can be as decorative as desired, with any number of patterns being possible and being limited only by the decorator&#39;s or installer&#39;s imagination. 
         [0028]    Alternatively, the tile can be functional, such as being color-coded for significance as described below. The tile  36  is preferably affixed to the front surface of the front section with a clear, double-sided adhesive tape that permits easy removal if desired. Any other opaque, transparent or translucent means can be used that does not interfere with the desired degree of light transmission from the front section to the tile. For example, an opaque glue or epoxy can be used in selected locations, or a clear/translucent glue or epoxy can be used. The tile can be mechanically captured against the front section  18  by such means as a mechanically fastened frame, or by such fastening means as screws, clamps, and the like. The foregoing embodiment of the invention has several practical advantages. First, it can be used during remodeling of the existing construction or during new construction. The trays are adapted to interlock with one another for maximum flexibility, and can be trimmed to suit individual requirements. The illumination assembly  12  can be provided as a pre-wired, fiber optical “plug-in” unit that simply plugs into the trays. It will be recognized that select illumination panel assembly may be formed from a single integrated structure instead of the structure illustrated herein without departing from the scope of the invention. In accordance with the preferred embodiment, however, the front, central and rear sections are bonded together with a glue or epoxy so that the assembly can subsequently be disassembled to replace internal components if desired. 
         [0029]    Illumination panel assemblies of the type described above, as well as those having entirely different structures, can be used for numerous purposes. For example, the illumination panel assemblies can be incorporated into the interior walls of a building to provide a visual alarm and/or guide system. The system employing them can be configured to utilize colors indicative of specific alarm conditions, if desired, and can be cyclically illuminated in a phased manner under microprocessor control to guide people towards exits or other destinations. In hospitals, for example, the system can be responsive to the activation of an alarm used in a “Code Blue” or other emergency to guide medical personnel to the location at which the event is occurring, eliminating the need to remember room numbers or await verbal instructions that may be mis-communicated or misunderstood in the stress of the moment. The alarm can be activated manually or automatically by life-monitoring medical equipment. The system can, for example, be configured to flash the color blue in a Code Blue emergency, and other colors for other emergencies. Illumination panel assemblies of the type described above, as well as those having entirely different structures, can be used can provide constant lighting as a safety measure, as a visual guide at night, or as a visual guide when normal lighting fails or is insufficient. They require only milliamps of current at very low voltages and have exceedingly high life expectancy owing to the use of solid state light sources and optical fiber waveguides. 
         [0030]    Similarly, illumination panel assemblies of the type described above, as well as those having entirely different structures, can be used to guide people within a building or shopping mall to the nearest exit in the event of a need to evacuate. Shopping malls, for example, are known to be designed to mask exits in order to induce shoppers to detach from the outside world and spend more time shopping. In an emergency such as a fire, hidden exits can be a source of liability and loss of life. Illumination panel assemblies, especially when operated in a phased manner to direct occupants in a particular direction, can guide shoppers to the nearest exits while remaining unobtrusive and even unseen when not in use. 
         [0031]    Moreover, illumination systems employing illumination panel assemblies of the type described above, as well as those having entirely different structures, can be sufficiently flexible to change the direction in which people are being guided as conditions change. When the nearest safe exit is no longer safe, as in the case of a fire, a shooter or other changeable and dangerous condition, the phasing can be changed under manual or microprocessor control to guide occupants in a different direction. 
         [0032]    Illumination panels can also be used for decorative purposes. Under manual or microprocessor control, both static and dynamic lighting can be implemented whereby entire rooms, stairs, furniture, bars, and swimming pools can become visually dynamic as systems employing illumination panel assemblies of the type described above, as well as those having entirely different structures are utilized to give lighting effects to these structures. In the lighting of swimming pools, and for other applications, it may not be desirable to place electrical conductors nears the lighting. Under such circumstances, optical cables can be utilized to couple optical panels  34  to lighting sources as much as 40 feet away, and to place tiles on the panels where the lighting effect is desired. Accordingly, there are numerous applications where a single light source is not needed for each tile, and where it is desired to light backsplashes, chair rails, existing baseboards, stairs, and pieces of furniture. In such cases, the afore described tray can be eliminated, and a lighting assembly as thin as tape can be affixed to such surfaces to add mood and light without transferring heat or electricity to the tile. As shown in  FIG. 9 , an illumination system of this type comprises an optical panel  34 ′ to which a tile  36 ′ has been affixed by such means as an optically transmissive adhesive or glue. The optical panel  34 ′ is lit by a plurality of optical fiber waveguides  30 ′ splayed along the width and length of the panel  34 ′. The optical fiber waveguides  30 ′ are formed into a cable  35 ′ which optically couples the panel  34 ′ to a light source  28 ′ such as an LED. By this configuration, the light panel and lit tile can be as much as 40 feet away from the light source, permitting the light source to be placed in a location that is easily accessible or accessible only to authorized personnel, depending on the installer&#39;s goal. Accordingly, the light source can be located a sufficient distance from the object to be lit to avoid interference with the resulting visual effect or aesthetics and/or the occupying of desirable space by light sources, power supplies and circuit boards. One benefit of this configuration is that the tile installation does not have to be disturbed to change out the light source because the light source is up to 40′ or more away. Light sources used for this system have ranged from LEDs, halogen bulbs, and lighting sources that provides an array of RGB or CMY colors such as the Martin FiberSource CMY150 shown and described, for example, at http://www.martin.com/product/product.asp?product=fibersourcecmy150. Using light sources more powerful than LEDs permits the light source to be located further away from the illuminated tiles than the current LED limitation of approximately 40 feet.