Patent ID: 7458709

Claim:
A method of assembling a surface illumination system having an electromagnetic radiation emitting front side, the method comprising mounting at least one primary radiation source, suitable for emitting electromagnetic radiation when operating, on at least one mounting area of a flexible carrier having a front side and a back side opposite said front side, said front side of said flexible carrier defines a reference plane, bending said mounting area of said flexible carrier out of said reference plane such that an optical axis of said primary radiation source extends parallel or obliquely to said reference plane, mounting said flexible carrier on a rigid carrier with the back side of said flexible carrier facing said rigid carrier, and mounting at least one light-conducting guide having a radiation emitting front side and at least one incoupling region on said flexible carrier such that when said surface illumination system is operating, said primary radiation source emits radiation into the incoupling region of said light guide and the radiation emitting front side of said light guide points in the direction of the radiation emitting front side of said surface illumination system; wherein rigid structures are disposed on said rigid carrier for use in bending said mounting area of said flexible carrier out of said reference plane into a desired position when said flexible carrier is placed on said rigid carrier.