Patent ID: 8142063

Claim:
A light emitting panel assembly comprising a light emitting panel member and a plurality of LED light sources, wherein the panel member comprises a first major surface, a second major surface opposite the first major surface, and a light input surface, and at least one of the major surfaces has a light emitting surface, wherein a pattern of light extracting deformities is on or in at least one of the major surfaces for causing light to be emitted from the light emitting surface, wherein the panel member has a light transition area between the light input surface and the light sources, wherein the light sources are optically coupled to the transition area such that light emitted from the light sources mixes in the transition area and is transmitted by the transition area to the panel member through the light input surface, and wherein the transition area has refractive surfaces in close proximity to each of the light sources for changing the light output ray angle distribution of the light sources to a greater extent in a plane substantially parallel to the light emitting surface.