Patent ID: 7364341

Claim:
A light redirecting film comprising a thin optically transparent substrate having a light entrance surface for receiving light from a light source and an opposite light exit surface, at least one of the surfaces having a pattern of individual optical elements of well defined shape having at least two sloping surfaces and being quite small relative to the length and width of the substrate to redistribute light passing through the substrate in a predetermined angular distribution, at least some of the optical elements being non-interlockable optical elements having a geometric shape that prevents the non-interlockable optical elements from interlocking with each other, the non-interlockable optical elements being oriented and placed to produce a desired coverage of the portion of at least one of the surfaces of the substrate within the pattern of non-interlockable optical elements, wherein at least some of the non-interlockable optical elements intersect each other over an intersection area to achieve substantially complete surface coverage of at least one of the surfaces of the substrate within the pattern of non-interlockable optical elements.