FI20205218A1

FI20205218A1 - Illuminating apparatus and method

Info

Publication number: FI20205218A1
Application number: FI20205218A
Authority: FI
Inventors: Pekka Makkonen; Kari Rönkä; Juha Rantala
Original assignee: Flexbright Oy
Priority date: 2020-03-02
Filing date: 2020-03-02
Publication date: 2021-09-03
Also published as: WO2021176138A1

Abstract

An illuminating apparatus (10) comprises at least one LED unit (104), which outputs of visual light configured to induce an inactivation of microbes (302), a flexible substrate layer (100), and a flexible, at least partly transparent to the visual light and electrically conductive pattern layer (102) attached with the substrate layer (100), the at least one LED unit (104) being electrically coupled with the electrically conductive pattern layer (102) for an output of the visual light in response to a reception of electric power.

Description

Illuminating apparatus and method Field The invention relates to an illuminating apparatus and an illuminating method.

Background Surfaces that easily have microbes thereon are typically cleaned with chemicals which may be harmful or dangerous to the users and environment.

Food, and particularly fresh food may also become spoiled by microbes, and that is why food is often kept in a cool place or a preservative is administered to the food in order to slower the growth of microbes.

However, keeping cold is not necessary enough, and preservatives are also chemicals that may cause harm.

Ultraviolet light has also been used against microbes but its use is not possible in the presence of humans.

Hence, there is a need to improve the fight against the microbes.

Brief description The invention is defined by the independent claims.

Embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.

List of drawings

N Example embodiments of the present invention are described below, by N way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which = Figures 1 and 2 illustrate examples of an illuminating apparatus; 7 Figure 3A and 3B illustrate examples of a food table; E 25 Figure 4 illustrates an example of a touchable user interface; = Figure 5 illustrates an example of a LED unit; S Figure 6 illustrates an example of a controller; and N Figure 7 illustrates of an example of a flow chart of an illuminating method.

Description of embodiments The following embodiments are only examples.

Although the specification may refer to “an” embodiment in several locations, this does not necessarily mean that each such reference is to the same embodiment(s), or that the feature only applies to a single embodiment.

Single features of different embodiments may also be combined to provide other embodiments.

Furthermore, words "comprising" and "including" should be understood as not limiting the described embodiments to consist of only those features that have been mentioned and such embodiments may also contain features/structures that have not been specifically mentioned.

All combinations of the embodiments are considered possible if their combination does not lead to structural or logical contradiction.

It should be noted that while Figures illustrate various embodiments, they are simplified diagrams that only show some structures and/or functional entities.

The connections shown in the Figures may refer to logical or physical connections.

It is apparent to a person skilled in the art that the described apparatus may also comprise other functions and structures than those described in Figures and text.

It should be appreciated that details of some functions, structures, and the signalling used for measurement and/or controlling are irrelevant to the actual invention.

Therefore, they need not be discussed in more detail here.

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate examples of an illuminating apparatus 10 S comprises at least one flexible polymer substrate 100. The substrate 100 may be N made of paper or plastic.

The plastic may comprise such as polyimide (PI), S 25 polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polycarbonate S (PC), liguid crystal polymer (LCP), styrene monomer, polystyrene, ABS standard, j styrenic specialities or the like, for example.

The illuminating apparatus 10 also = comprises a flexible and electrically conductive layer 102, which has a conductor S pattern for making electrical contacts for at least one LED unit 104 and an electric N 30 power source, which may be outside the illuminating apparatus 10. The at least one LED unit 104 may be attached with pads of the conductor layer 102 using electrically conductive glue 110, for example. The at least one LED unit 104 then outputs light in response to a reception of the electric power.

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a simplified conductive layer 102 and only one LED unit 104, although the illuminating apparatus 10 may be a sheet or film with a large area and a plurality of LED units 104. The electrically conductive layer 104 may be made by printing the pattern of the circuitry of the conductors and the contact areas for the LED units with at least one printable conductive ink. Alternatively or additionally, the electrically conductive layer 104 may be made by etching, milling, laser processing, vapor depositing for example. In an embodiment, the electrically conductive pattern 102 may also enable an individual electric control of the LED units 104 and even elements of the LED unit 104 (see Figure 5).

The abbreviation LED, which is largely in use as such like a usual noun, stands for Light Emitting Diode. The at least one LED unit 104 may comprise one or more inorganic LEDs or organic LEDs. Any one of the LED unit 104 emit light in at least one of the following: ultraviolet light band, visible light band and infrared light band.

In an embodiment, the illuminating apparatus 10 may also comprise filling material layer 106 on one side or on both sides of the substrate 100. The filling material layer 106 may be laminating material that can be used to attach surface material layers 108A, 108B and the substrate 100 together. The filling material may be adhesive, EVA (Eethylene Vinyl Acetate) film or powder, PVC (PolyVinyl Chloride) lamination film or powder or the like, for example. The filling S material layer 106 and at least one of the surface material layers 108A, 108B are N transparent to light the at least one LED unit 104 outputs. The surface material & 25 layer 108A, 108B that is transparent may comprise glass or polymer, for example. S The substrate 100 may be clear or diffusing material. One or both of the surface i material layers 108A, 108B may be clear or diffusing material. = In an embodiment, one of the surface material layers 108A, 108B may S be reflective to the light that at least one LED unit 104 outputs. The surface material N 30 layer 108A, 108B that is reflective may comprise metal, for example.

The at least one LED unit 104 outputs visual light that is configured to inactivate microbes 302. The visual light may induce a chemical reaction of organic molecules within the microbes 302 in order to inactivate the microbes 302 (see Figures 3A, 3B, 4). The visual light may be harmful to reproduction of microbes 302 or the visual light may kill the microbes 302. The chemical reaction caused by the visual light may be based photoexcitation, for example.

In an embodiment, the illuminating apparatus 10 may comprise a photoactive layer 120, which may be or comprise a photocatalytic oxidation layer in order to intensify the visual light.

In an embodiment, the illuminating apparatus 10 may comprise a plurality of LED units 104 distributed over an area of the substrate 100.

In an embodiment an example which is illustrated in Figures 34, 3B, the illuminating apparatus 10 may be in conjunction with a food table 30, which has or includes a surface 304 exposed to the microbes 302. The microbes 302 may come — to the surface 304 because of repeated touch with skin such as that of fingers or because of fresh food stored thereon. The illuminating apparatus 10 may inactivate the microbes 302. The attachment between the illuminating apparatus 10 and the food table 30 may be repeatedly mountable and removable. The attachment may alternatively be realized in a manner of full integration such that the illuminating apparatus 10 is non-removable without breakage. In an embodiment, the photocatalytic oxidation layer may be used on the surface 304 for intensifying the effect of the visual light.

S Fresh food can be considered as not been preserved but not become N spoiled yet.

& 25 In an embodiment, the at least one LED unit 104 may output germicidal S visual light wavelengths between about 380 nm to 430 nm.

i In an embodiment, the at least one LED unit 104 may output optical = radiation which includes a wavelength about 405 nm for inactivating the microbes S 302.

N 30 In an embodiment, the at least one LED unit 104 may additionally outputat least one of the following: white visible light and ultraviolet light.

In an embodiment, the substrate 100 may be made of material that has a different refraction index from that of the surface material layer 108A and/or 108B. In that manner, the visual light may refract and be directed to desired direction on the basis of the selection of the refraction indices.

5 The ultraviolet light may be used to inactivate microbes 302 such as pathogens when no skin of a person or animal is under the illumination of the at least one LED unit 104. That may occur when there is no persons near the illuminating apparatus 10, for example. A person's presence may be detected with a sensor. Such a situation may be at night, for example. The white light and its tune may be used to optimize a plant growth, for example. The white light may be used to esthetically emphasize color(s) of the surface 304 (see Figures 3A, 3B, 4). The white light may also be used to The white light refers to whole spectrum of visible light other than that of the visual light that inactivates the microbes 302.

In order to use the ultraviolet light, material(s) between the atleast one LED unit 104, which outputs the ultraviolet light, and a surface, which is to be illuminated with the ultraviolet light, should be at least partly transparent to the ultraviolet light.

In an embodiment, the blue range of the white light may be controlled, which may be performed using a low blue control and it may be performed by filtering or limiting output of the at least one LED unit 104 at that range. A blue range may cause various health problems including sleeping problems, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases, for example, and it may weaken a preservation of vitamins S in food. In an embodiment, may be about 430 nm to about 500 nm. In an N embodiment, the blue range may be about 440 nm to 490 nm, for example. In an & 25 embodiment, the low blue control may limit optical power at the blue range to a S lower intensity than that of the visual light that inactivates the microbes 102. In an i embodiment, the low blue control may at least almost fully eliminate the blue = range. In an embodiment, the low blue control may limit optical power at the blue S range to a lower intensity than that of the white light in a range above the blue N 30 range. Because the visual light that inactivates the microbes 302 isin different band than the blue range, the visual light is not linked with the problems of the blue range.

In an embodiment, the visual light is temporally continuous instead of pulsed light. However, the intensity of the visual light that is temporally continuous mayvary without switching off fully.

In an embodiment, the illuminating apparatus 10 may comprise a switch 150, which can receive a control action, and switch on, simultaneously or separately, at least one of the following: the ultraviolet light, the visual light and the white light. The switch 150 may also be used to switch off, simultaneously or separately, atleast one of the following: the ultraviolet light, the visual light and the white light. The switch 150 may be a mechanical switch which is turned by fingers or a hand. The switch 150 may be an electrical switch, which is switched by a controller 320 (see Figure 3A).

Figures 3A and 3B illustrate an example of arrangement having the surface 304 exposed to microbes 302. The arrangement comprises the illuminating apparatus 10 which is described in association with Figures 1 and 2.

In an embodiment, the arrangement may comprise a protective wall 300 of a food table 30, where the surface 304 is formed of an inner surface 304’ of the food table 30 and a surface 304” of at least one food product 306 on the inner surface 304’. The surface 304” of the at least one food product 306 may be on an opposite side of the at least one food product 306 to the side that is against the inner surface 304”. However, the arrangement may comprise the illuminating Q apparatus 10 also below the at least one food product 306. The food product 306 N may refer to fresh food such as meat, fish, sea food, vegetable(s), seed(s), and/or & 25 —fruit(s).

S In an embodiment the protective wall 300 may be a window of a service E or storage counter such as meat counter, fish counter, buffet table or butchers = display.

S In an embodiment, the protective wall 300 may be used as a first surface N 30 material layer 108B of the illuminating apparatus 10. Thus, the substrate 100 with the atleast one LED unit 104 and the conductor layer 102 may be attached with the protective wall 300. The second surface material layer 108A may be glass or polymer, for example. In an embodiment, the illuminating apparatus 10 may direct different intensity of the visual light to different surfaces 304, the different surfaces being illustrated using different shapes and signs P, K, L of the food products 306 in Figure 3B. In that manner, a first section 350 of the illuminating apparatus 10 may direct a first intensity, a second section 352 of the illuminating apparatus 10 may direct a second intensity and a third section 354 may direct a third intensity of the visual light to the food products 306. In an embodiment, the arrangement may comprise a controller 308, which controls intensity of the visual light that inactivates the microbes 302 and that is directed to the surface 304 by the at least one LED unit 104. In an embodiment, the controller 308 may receive information on a coverage or a filling degree of the food table 30, and control the at least one LED unit 104tooutputintensity of the visual light to the surface 304 as a function of the filling degree. Correspondingly, the controller 308 may control intensity of the ultraviolet light, and/or the white light as a function of the filling degree. The coverage/filling degree may refer to a relation between an area of the food product(s) 306 on the surface 304’ and a total area of the surface 304’. The filling degree may refer to a relation between a volume of the food product(s) 306 on the surface 304’ and a total volume of the arrangement reserved for the food product

306. S The controller 308 may control the at least one LED unit 104 to increase N intensity of the visual light with an increasing coverage. Correspondingly, the & 25 controller 308 may increase the intensity of the ultraviolet light as a function of an S increasing coverage. The controller 308 may control the at least one LED unit 104 i to decrease intensity of the visual light with a decreasing coverage. = Correspondingly, the controller 308 may decrease the intensity of the ultraviolet S light as a function of a decreasing coverage. In this manner, the intensity may be N 30 optimized which may lead to energy savings.

In general, the coverage may be determined visually by eyes, which may require a user to input information on the filling rate to the controller 320 through a user interface. Alternatively or additionally, the filling rate may be determined based on a weight of the food product(s) on the surface 304’. The weight may be measuredusinga balance or the like, for example. Alternatively or additionally, the filling rate may be determined using a camera and one or more computer programs of image processing. The measurement of weight and/or the image processing may allow an automatic increase and decrease of the visual light as a function of a change of the coverage. Correspondingly, the measurement of weight and/or the image processing may allow an automatic increase and decrease of the ultraviolet light as a function of a change of the coverage.

In an embodiment, the controller 308 may receive information on temperature of the food table 30, and control the at least one LED unit 104 to output intensity of the visual light to the surface 304 as a function of the temperature. The arrangement may comprise a thermometer 322 or the controller 308 may communicate with the thermometer 322.

The controller 308 may control the at least one LED unit 104 to increase intensity of the visual light with an increasing temperature. Correspondingly, the controller 308 may increase the intensity of the ultraviolet light as a function of an increasing temperature. The controller 308 may control the at least one LED unit 104 to decrease intensity of the visual light with a decreasing temperature. Correspondingly, the controller 308 may decrease the intensity of the ultraviolet N light as a function of a decreasing temperature. N In this manner, the intensity may be optimized which may lead to & 25 energy savings. A microbiological inactivation effect of both the temperature and S the visual light can simultaneously be kept constant or in a deterministic range. i In an embodiment an example of which is illustrated in Figure 4, the = surface 304 exposed to the microbes 302 may comprise a touchable user interface S 400 and/or a frame surrounding the touchable user interface 402 of an electrically N 30 operating apparatus. The touchable user interface 400 may comprise a button, a key or a touchscreen, for example. In an embodiment, the touchable user interface

400 may be a user interface of the service or storage counter. In an embodiment, the electrically operating apparatus may be an elevator or a payment terminal, for example. In Figure 4, the visible light may be output from ring (white) around a circle (hatched) and directed to the circle. The circle may be a physical button on a control plate of the elevator, or an icon representing a button on the touch screen of the elevator, for example. In an embodiment, the physical buttons may be transparent to the visual light such that no ring around the circle is necessarily needed but the visual light can be directed to the surface 304 of the button from behind or from inside of the button. In an embodiment, the touch screen may be transparent to the visual light. In this manner, the at least one LED unit 104 of the touchscreen may inactivate pathogens and microbes 302 on the touchscreen.

In an embodiment, the illuminating apparatus 10 may have a plurality of flexible polymer substrates 100, which have electrical conductors and LED units, laminated together. The laminating may mean putting different substrates 100 one on the other and attaching them together by gluing and/or hot-lamination, for example. Brightness of the LED units 104 of different substrates 100 may be separately controllable with operational power fed through the conductive layer 102, which may also allow the operational electric power to be fed individually to the LED units 104.

A plurality of LED units 104 may be distributed over each of the substrates 100.

The substrate 100 is transparent to the optical radiation the atleast one S LED unit 104 outputs. In this manner, the light of the at least one LED unit 104 can N pass through the substrate 100 and illuminate the surface 304.

3 25 In an embodiment, brightness of each of the atleast one LED unit 104 is S uniguely controllable. When there are a plurality of LED units 104, brightness of i each of the plurality of the LED units 104 is separately controllable. The unigue = control of the at least one LED unit 104 is possible through the conducting layer S 102 which allows the operational electric power to be fed individually to the at i 30 least one LED unit 104.

In an embodiment an example of which is illustrated in Figure 5, a LED unit of the at least one LED unit 104 may comprise a red LED element R, a green LED element G, a blue LED element B and a visual light LED element VL integrated together. Each of the LED elements R, G, B, VL. may be driven individually.

In an embodiment an example of which is illustrated in Figure 5, a LED unit of the at least one LED unit 104 may comprise an ultraviolet LED element UV and the visual light LED element VL integrated together. Each of the LED elements UV and VL may be driven individually.

In an embodiment an example of which is illustrated in Figure 5, a LED unit of the at least one LED unit 104 may comprise a red LED element R, a green LED element G, a blue LED element B, a visual light LED element VL and an ultraviolet LED element UV integrated together. Each of the LED elements R, G, B, VL, UV may be driven individually. In general, a LED unit of the at least one LED unit 104 may comprise the visual light LED element VL and one or more of the following: a red LED element R, a green LED element G, a blue LED element B, and an ultraviolet LED element UV. Thus, tones/hues of the arrangement may be controlled. Figure 6 illustrates an example of a block diagram of the controller 320. In an embodiment, the controller 320 may comprise at least one processor 600 and atleast one memory 602. The control performed by the controller 320 may based on a seguence of program commands of a computer program run in the controller

320. The computer program may be stored in the at least one memory 602. Q Figure 7 is a flow chart of the measurement method. In step 700, visual N light is directed to a surface 304 by at least one LED unit 104 of an illuminating & 25 apparatus 10, which comprises a flexible substrate layer 100, and a flexible, at least S partly transparent to the visual radiation and electrically conductive pattern layer i 102 attached with the substrate layer 100, the at least one LED unit 104 being = electrically coupled with the electrically conductive pattern layer 102 for the S output in response to a reception of electric energy, the visual light being N 30 configured to induce an inactivation of microbes 302 on the surface 304.

It will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that, as technology advances, the inventive concept can be implemented in various ways. The invention and its embodiments are not limited to the example embodiments described above but may vary within the scope of the claims. o

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Claims

1. An illuminating apparatus, characterized in that the illuminating apparatus (10) comprises at least one LED unit (104), which is configured to perform an output of visual light configured to induce an inactivation of microbes (302), a flexible substrate layer (100), and a flexible, at least partly transparent to the visual light and electrically conductive pattern layer (102) attached with the substrate layer (100), the at least one LED unit (104) being electrically coupled with the electrically conductive pattern layer (102) for the outputin response to a reception of electric power.

2. The illuminating apparatus of claim 1, characterized in that the illuminating apparatus (10) comprises a plurality of LED units (104) distributed over the substrate (100).

3. The illuminating apparatus of claim 1, characterized in that the illuminating apparatus (10) is configured to be attached in conjunction with a food table (30) which has a surface (304) exposed to the microbes (302) for inactivating the microbes (302).

4. The illuminating apparatus of claim 1, characterized in that that the at least one LED unit (104) is configured to output germicidal visual light wavelengths between 380 nm to 430 nm. o N

5. The illuminating apparatus of claim 1 characterized in that

N O that the at least one LED unit (104) is configured to output optical radiation which

O N includes a wavelength 405 nm.

O E

6. The illuminating apparatus of claim 1, characterized in that 00 25 thatthe atleast one LED unit (104) is additionally configured to output at least one

N 2 of the following: white visible light and ultraviolet light.

S

7. The illuminating apparatus of claim 6, characterized in that that the illuminating multilayer apparatus comprises a switch (150) which is configured to receive a control action, and switch on simultaneously or separately atleast one of the following: the ultraviolet light, the visual light and the white light.

8. An arrangement having a surface (304) exposed to microbes (302), characterized inthatthearrangement comprises an illuminating apparatus (10) configured to direct visual light to the surface (304), the visual light being configured to induce an inactivation of microbes (302) on the surface (304); the illuminating apparatus (10) comprising at least one LED unit (104) configured to output of the visual light, a flexible substrate layer (100), and a flexible, at least partly transparent to the visual radiation and electrically conductive pattern layer (102) attached with the substrate layer (100), the atleast one LED unit (104) being electrically coupled with the electrically conductive pattern layer (102) for an output of the visual light in response to a reception of electric energy.

9. The arrangement of claim 8 characterized in that the arrangement comprises a protective wall (300) of a food table (30) where the surface (304) is formed of an inner surface (304') of the food table (30) and a surface (304”) of at least one food product (306) on the inner surface (304).

10. The arrangement of claim 9, characterized in that the protective wall (300) is a window of a service or storage counter.

11. The arrangement of claim 9, characterized in that the S protective wall (300) is used as a surface material layer (108B) of the illuminating O apparatus (10).

I S

12. The arrangement of claim 8, characterized in that the E arrangement comprises a controller (308) configured to control intensity of the = 25 visual light directed to the surface (304) by the at least one LED unit (104).

S N

13. The arrangement of claim 12, characterized in that the N controller (308) is configured to receive information on a coverage of the food table

(30), and control the at least one LED unit (104) to output intensity of the visual light to the surface (304) as a function of the coverage.

14. The arrangement of claim 12, characterized in that the controller (308) is configured to receive information on temperature of the food table (30), and control the at least one LED unit (104) to output intensity of the visual light to the surface (304) as a function of the temperature.

15. The arrangement of claim 8 characterized in that the structure comprises a touchable user interface (400) and/or a frame surrounding the touchable user interface (402) of an electrically operating apparatus.

16. An illuminating method, characterized by directing (700) visual light, by at least one LED unit (104) of an illuminating apparatus (10), which comprises a flexible substrate layer (100), and a flexible, at least partly transparent to the visual radiation and electrically conductive pattern layer (102) attached with the substrate layer (100), the atleast one LED unit (104) being electrically coupled — with the electrically conductive pattern layer (102) for an output of the visual light in response to a reception of electric energy to a surface (304), the visual light inducing an inactivation of microbes (302) on the surface (304).

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