权利要求：
Claims
1. An integrated optically functional multilayer structure (100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1100, 1300, 1400, 1500), comprising: a flexible, optionally 3D-formable and thermoplastic, substrate film (102, 102a) arranged with a circuit design (106) comprising at least a number of electrical conductors; a light source (104) provided upon a first side of the substrate film to internally illuminate (104a, 104b) at least portion of the structure for external perception (113); an optically transmissive plastic layer (108), optionally of thermoplastic material, provided upon the first side of the substrate film, said plastic layer at least laterally surrounding or neighbouring, optionally also at least partially covering, the light source (104), the substrate film optionally comprising material or material layer same as that of the plastic layer or at least having a similar or lower refractive index therewith; and a reflector design (110) comprising at least one material layer, said reflector design being configured to reflect, optionally dominantly specularly, the light emitted by the light source and incident upon the reflector design optionally towards the plastic layer.
2. The structure of claim 1, wherein the reflectance of the reflector design is at least locally about 75%, more preferably at least about 90%, and most preferably at least about 95% at selected, optionally essentially all visible, wavelengths of light.
3. The structure of any preceding claim, wherein (300, 900) the reflector design (110, 110a, 110b, 110c) is configured on a preferably direct optical emission path from the light source so as to reflect light incoupled into the plastic layer from the light source and incident on the reflector design to preferably align more with a lateral plane of the plastic layer substantially transverse to a surface normal of the plastic layer.
4. The structure of any preceding claim, wherein the reflector design is configured on or in the plastic layer to reflect and steer light emitted by the light source and incident on the reflector design to propagate towards an outcoupling area (112, 112a,
112b, 112c) and optionally more towards related surface normal of the plastic layer for outcoupling the light at least from the plastic layer or the overall structure.
5. The structure of any preceding claim, wherein the reflector design at least locally comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of:
• electrically conductive material;
• metal, optionally metal particles, further optionally provided upon or within the substrate film or further film or a further film or layer included in the structure;
• a plurality of stacked, superimposed material layers of at least two mutually different refractive indexes, optionally defining a Bragg mirror;
• thin-film coating, optionally PVD (physical vapor deposition) coating; and
• ink or paint.
6. The structure of any preceding claim, wherein one or more portions of the reflector design (110) are located on a side of the plastic layer equal (110a), opposite (110b), and/or transverse (110c) to a side facing the first side of the substrate film hosting the light source (104).
7. The stmcture of any preceding claim, comprising at least one further, optionally printed, material layer (114), optionally stacked and preferably in contact with the reflector design (110, 110a, 110b, 110c), said at least one further material layer having a lower refractive index than the plastic layer, said at least one further material layer and said plastic layer being optically connected, optionally physically adjacent, so as to redirect at least part of the light emitted by the light source, propagated within the plastic layer and incident upon the at least one further material layer back into the plastic layer by total internal reflection, said at least one further material layer optionally comprising or consisting of optically clear adhesive or primer.
8. The structure of claim 7, wherein a layer of the at least one further material layer (114) is a layer of the substrate film (102a) of multilayer, optionally co-extruded, type comprising also a hosting layer (102) for the light source (104).
9. The structure of any of claims 7-8, comprising an intermediate layer (116) between the plastic layer (108) and a layer of said at least one further material layer (114), the intermediate layer comprising optically transmissive material preferably same as that of the plastic layer or having at least a similar refractive index therewith, said intermediate layer and the layer of said at least one further material layer optionally being constituents of a multilayer film (116a), further optionally being a
preferably co-extruded multilayer film and/or substrate type multilayer film, hosting a number of elements such as optical elements, a circuit design or one or more electronic components, laminated upon the plastic layer.
10. The structure of any of claims 7-9, wherein at least portion of the reflector design (110, 110a, 110b) and the at least one further material layer (114) are mutually on the same, opposite, or both sides of the plastic layer (108).
11. The structure of any of claims 7-10, wherein a layer of the reflector design (110), a layer of the at least one further material layer (114), and the plastic layer (108) are at least locally superimposed in terms of their materials so that the material of the layer of the at least one further material layer is stacked between the materials of the layer of the reflector design and the plastic layer.
12. The structure of any preceding claim, wherein (1200) the plastic layer defines a bend, optionally having a bend angle of about 10 degrees or more, and at least a portion of the reflector design is located essentially at an outer and/or inner perimeter thereof on the plastic layer.
13. The stmcture of any preceding claim, wherein (400, 420, 1400, 1412, 1412b) at least a portion of the reflector design comprises a number of holes (410), such as a perforation, optionally provided with optically transmissive and further optionally diffusive fill, to enable incident light to propagate through for outcoupling, wherein the density of incidence and/or size of holes preferably increases with distance from the light source.
14. The structure of any preceding claim, comprising (1500) at least one element, preferably along the optical path from the light source towards the exterior of the structure, selected from the group consisting of:
• a diffuser (414);
• preferably at least translucent or substantially transparent, essentially planar electrode (418), optionally printed on the diffuser;
• printed graphics (416, 416a), optionally laterally adjacent the electrode; and
• protective exterior surface element (416, 416b) of optionally translucent, nontransparent type.
15. The structure of any preceding claim, wherein (600, 700) the reflector design at least locally defines a collimating reflector surface (610), optionally essentially a parabolic reflector, preferably on a side of the plastic layer opposite to a side facing
the first side of the substrate film hosting the light source.
16. The structure of claim 15, wherein the light source (104) is centered (600) or off-centered (700) in relation to the axis of symmetry of the collimating reflector surface.
17. The structure of any preceding claim, wherein at least a portion of the reflector design is positioned adjacent the substrate film so as to enable light incoupled from the light source into the substrate film to propagate within the substrate film by reflection until incident on an outcoupling area or outcoupling volume allowing the light outside the substrate film and preferably through the plastic layer, said outcoupling area or volume optionally comprising a deformed substrate portion, a coating, or a printed portion.
18. The structure of any preceding claim, wherein the reflector design contains a locally treated, preferably mechanically, chemically or electrically treated, optionally deformed such as stretched, portion, such as a material stack portion or material layer portion, with altered reflective properties for light redirection and outcoupling (118) optionally through the plastic layer.
19. The structure of any preceding claim, wherein the plastic layer locally defines a surface feature or a surface pattern, optionally comprising a roughened or deformed area, for outcoupling (118) light that is internally incident thereon.
20. The structure of any preceding claim, comprising (500) a number of preferably printed, optionally scattering, outcoupling elements (118) of spatially mutually varying density of incidence and/or dimensions, preferably including at least thickness, upon the plastic layer, the density of incidence, thickness and/or one or more other dimensions of the outcoupling elements preferably increasing with distance from the light source to respectively enhance outcoupling with distance, one or more of said number of outcoupling elements optionally comprising fluorescent, phosphorescent, thermochromic or photochromic material.
21. The structure of any preceding claim, comprising an overcoat (124) at least partially covering a light emitting portion of the light source, said overcoat layer comprising optically transmissive material optionally having a higher refractive index than the plastic layer.
22. The structure of any preceding claim, comprising (200) a light outcoupling area (112, 112a, 112b, 112c) on the plastic layer, wherein the light source (104) is located between at least a portion of the reflector design (110c) preferably aligned substantially perpendicular to the light outcoupling area, and the light outcoupling area, and the light source has been aligned in terms of its primary emission direction towards the at least portion (110c) of the reflector design.
23. The structure of any preceding claim, comprising (600, 900) a circuit board (602) hosting the light source and provided on the substrate film, said circuit board optionally further hosting a lightguide (908) of optically transmissive material covering the light source, a wall structure (902) of optically transmissive and optionally clear material arranged at the periphery of the circuit board, and/or air gap or fill (909) preferably between the wall structure and the lightguide, and/or said circuit board further optionally comprising a number of holes (603) for enabling light transmission therethrough.
24. The structure of any preceding claim, comprising, in the optical path from the light source towards the exterior of the structure and at the surface of or subsequent to the plastic layer, at least one element selected from the group consisting of: optical print layer, coating or film comprising opaque or translucent material (416, 416a, 416b) relative to the light emitted by the light source, optical mask (412), dented surface such as the surface of the plastic layer optionally defining one or more prismatic dent shapes (118; 1418), layer (1412, 1412a) of optically at least translucent if not transparent material with a refractive index lower than of optically subsequent, adjacent material such as air, layer (1412, 1412c) of alternating higher (1414) and lower (1416) refractive index materials, perforated, holey or otherwise locally thinned or through-cut layer of opaque material, and adhesion promoting primer.
25. The structure of any preceding claim, wherein the light source (104) comprises a semiconductor, a packaged semiconductor, a chip-on-board semiconductor, bare chip, electroluminescent or a printed type light source, preferably LED, optionally a multi-color such as RGB (red-green-blue) LED.
26. The stmcture of any preceding claim, wherein the optically transmissive plastic layer (108) defines a hole (103) therein to accommodate at least portion of the at least one light source.
27. The structure of any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the number of electrical conductors (106a) of the circuit design (106) is partially or essentially positioned on a side of the reflector design which faces away from the optically transmissive plastic layer (108) and preferably at least electrically, optionally physically, connects to the light source (104).
28. The structure of any preceding claim, wherein (150) at least portion (1 lOe) of the reflector design (110) is located between the optically transmissive plastic layer (108) and the substrate film (102), optionally produced or laminated to the optically transmissive plastic layer (108).
29. A multi-source multi-target illumination ensemble (800) comprising two or more structures (801a, 801b) of any preceding claims stacked, preferably attached, together, configured to outcouple light from each of said two or more structures via their individual, at least partially non-overlapping, outcoupling areas (112a, 112b) on one or more surfaces of the ensemble and/or illuminated outcoupling elements (118; 812a, 812b) in or on the ensemble.
30. A method (1000) for manufacturing an integrated optically functional multilayer stmcture, comprising: obtaining (1004) a flexible, optionally 3D-formable and thermoplastic, substrate film (102), optionally a multilayer film, provided (1006) with a circuit design comprising at least a number of electrical conductors, preferably additively produced such as printed on the substrate film; arranging (1008, 1009) at least one light source upon a first side of the substrate film; providing (1012), optionally through molding, laminating or 3D printing, an optically transmissive plastic layer upon the first side of the substrate film, said plastic layer at least laterally surrounding or neighbouring, optionally also at least partially covering, the light source; wherein a reflector design comprising at least one material layer, optionally comprising a stack of material layers and/or a layer of electrically conductive and/or metallic material, is provided (1014, 1014A, 1014B), optionally including printing, coating, laminating or molding, and configured to reflect, optionally dominantly specularly, the light
emitted by the at least one light source and incident upon the reflector design, optionally towards the plastic layer.
31. The method of claim 30, comprising providing, optionally as a coextruded film layer or through coating, printing or molding, at least one further material layer having a lower refractive index than the plastic layer so that said at least one further material layer and said plastic layer are optically connected, optionally physically adjacent, so as to redirect at least part of the light emitted by the at least one light source, propagated within the plastic layer and incident upon the at least one further material layer back into the plastic layer by total internal reflection, said at least one further material layer optionally comprising thermoplastic material or optically clear adhesive material or primer.
32. The method of any of claims 30-31, comprising at least one step selected from the group consisting of:
• laminating two or more layers included in the multilayer structure together by pressure-sensitive adhesive, optically clear adhesive, solvent, ink, heat, pressure, or hot melt;
• additively producing such as printing or 3D-printing at least one layer such as the plastic layer, a layer of the at least one reflective layer, a further material layer, a lightguide, a light outcoupling element, a diffuser, and/or other optically functional element; and
• providing a top-emitting light source, optionally LED, on its side on the substrate film so that its contact pads face a direction transverse to the surface of the substrate film and are contacted by conductive adhesive provided on the substrate film electrically joining the contact pads with the circuit design, the conductive adhesive being at least partially surrounded on the substrate film by structural adhesive provided on the substrate film.
33. The method of any of claims 30-32, comprising interconnecting a plurality of modules together, wherein each module comprises
• at least one of o one or more light sources of the at least one light source; o at least a portion of the substrate film; and o the circuit design optionally including a light source driver circuit, and/or a capacitive sensing electrode; or
• at least a portion of a layer of the reflector design and/or at least a portion of the plastic layer. 34. The method of any of claims 30-33, wherein the plastic layer is configured with at least one hole to accommodate at least portion of the at least one light source.
35. The method of any of claims 30-34, wherein the optically transmissive layer is at least partially provided as a pre-manufactured element initially separate from the first side of the substrate film, and preferably arranged with at least portion of the reflector design prior to attaching the optically transmissive layer and substrate film together either directly or via one or more intermediate layers.