WO2004051028A1

WO2004051028A1 - Luminous tile

Info

Publication number: WO2004051028A1
Application number: PCT/IB2003/000947
Authority: WO
Inventors: Davide Cavalli
Original assignee: Martini Spa
Priority date: 2002-12-04
Filing date: 2003-03-17
Publication date: 2004-06-17
Also published as: WO2004051028A9; AU2003208530A1

Abstract

Luminous tile (10) which is applied directly to the floor or to a wall. The luminous tile (10) comprises a perimeter containing edge (14) which substantially defines the geometric perimeter of the luminous tile (10). The perimeter containing edge (14) has a thin thickness and a predetermined height substantially equal to the thickness of a conventional tile. The upper surface of the luminous tile (10) delivers light. The luminous tile (10), internally to the perimeter containing edge (14), is defined by a body (26), made of light conducting material, which has a thickness (11) substantially equal to the height of the perimeter containing edge (14), comprises two superimposed layers (26a, 26b), solid with the perimeter containing edge (14), and has the non-visible face (12) cooperating with reflecting means (13). A light source (18, 118) is optically connected with the body (26) and is immersed in a light conducting material connected with the body (26).

Description

"LUMINOUS TILE"

"k - -k "k ie

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention refers to tile elements, that is, elements having a reduced thickness and rectangular, square, polygonal, round or varied shape, coherent with the environment in which they are inserted, which deliver light from their visible surface.

The present invention concerns luminous tile elements suitable to be installed both on the floor and on the wall, also with normal tiles without modifying the anchoring surface below.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Rectangular elements which in particular conditions deliver light and are of reduced thickness are known. Said rectangular elements have a luminous surface and an opaque surface and are intended for emergency signals, or for the illumination of small spaces.

Whether they are intended for the illumination of spaces or for emergency signals, such known elements are in any case applied to the wall or ceiling.

The Applicant does not know of any luminous tiles which can be inserted in a normal tile floor, or in a wall, and which cooperate with the same base surface with which normal tiles cooperate, and which do not require for installation any other masonry work.

Document WO-A-02 / 095287 shows a container, of considerable thickness, which contains and positions a light conducting element, cooperating with one or more light sources; on the upper part, said element has means to disperse the light and a usable surface made of glass.

This document teaches to obtain a light unit of considerable thickness, consisting of many parts, expensive and entailing problems of duration and installation. In addition, a great part of the light emitted by the light source is dispersed inside the container and is not delivered by the upper part of said unit, since there is a lack of continuity between the light source and the light conducting element.

Document WO-A- 01 /21909 shows luminous surfaces consisting of a plurality of elements arranged vertically, with problems of cost and also problems in the transmission of light, and in the yield of the light sources inasmuch as it has the same defects of the teaching disclosed in WO-A- 02/095287.

Document EP-A- 0.308.828 shows a very complex illuminated panel, expensive and not easy to make. Furthermore, the light sources operate in the air, and disperse the light, thus reducing yield.

Document GB-A-2.030.750 shows a luminous wall screen with an important decorated edge which also functions as a container for the light sources. The optically active element is obtained by joining a plurality of layers.

None of the aforesaid prior art documents is able to provide a luminous tile able to be installed like normal tiles and which has a considerable optical performance, being at the same time impermeable and simple to make. One purpose of the invention is to make luminous tiles which, inserted in a floor or wall, also instead of a normal tile, can cooperate with normal tiles or with the normal decorative material (tiles, slabs, parquet, wooden strips, etc.), and are able to deliver light practically from the whole visible surface.

It is also a purpose of the invention to obtain a luminous tile able to be impermeable to water and other usual cleaning products. Another purpose is to obtain a tile which has a high luminous yield in proportion to the luminous power installed.

Another purpose is to obtain a tile in which the light sources are not visible.

Yet another purpose is to obtain luminous tiles which are easy to construct and of limited cost.

The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain other purposes and advantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is defined and characterized in the main claim, while the dependent claims set forth variants of the invention. Luminous tiles according to the present invention can be used to obtain light patterns, preferential paths, signaling, emergencies, etc.

According to the invention, a tile is made having a thickness of between about 5 mm and about 15 mm and having a form which can be rectangular, square, hexagonal, polygonal, round or a shape defined on each occasion.

According to a variant, said tile has a thickness of between about 15 mm and about 35 mm.

According to the invention, the tile has a perimeter containing edge which hydraulically seals the part inside said edge. Said perimeter edge advantageously has a reduced thickness, said thickness being between 0.4 mm and 2 mm; the edge can be made of metal or plastic.

Inside, that is, inside its volume, the tile according to the invention has the light source (s) , so that it is only necessary to bring enough energy from a remote point where there is also the command and control member.

According to a variant, in the part underneath, that is, on the non-visible face, said tile has energy accumulation means, controlled energy delivery means, and possible activating means to activate the energy delivery means . According to the invention, the tile has a body consisting of at least two layers of light conducting material; said layers are preferably made of glass.

According to a variant, said layers are made of plastic material such as methacrylate, polycarbonate, or other light conducting material suitable to let the waves of light generated by the light source (s) flow.

According to the invention, the light conducting material is colorless. According to a variant, said material transmits the desired color. According to another variant, at least the surface layer of the visible face is able to transmit the desired color.

The light sources according to the invention can be diodes or filiform lamps (normally having a diameter of 3÷6 mm), fluorescent or otherwise. The light sources are located either in suitable compartments, or in hollows. The compartment is made at least in one edge of the body and contains the light source (s) .

According to a variant, there is a compartment in a central position of the tile, made in the lower part of the body.

According to another variant, there is at least a hollow to contain the light source. Said hollow can be obtained by beveling an edge, or by creating at least a recess on at least part of the height of the body and along one side of the body.

According to a variant, the visible surface of the tile is worked, for example by mordanting, or sanding, or mechanical working, or a mixture thereof, in order to allow a good diffusion of the light.

According to the invention, the non-visible surface has a capacity for reflection, either because it has mirror-type reflection means, or because it is associated with a reflecting surface.

According to a variant, the edge of the body also cooperates, with at least part of its perimeter, with reflecting means in order to improve the migration of the light, advantageously with the whole perimeter thereof.

According to the invention, the light source is screened so as not to be seen from the outside.

It comes within the spirit of the invention to provide, in the lower part of the tile, dihedrals, or prisms, to distribute, deflect, channel and accentuate the light.

Said dihedrals or prisms can be arranged in a coaxial circular development, in a coil, linearly, cross-wise, or with reducing perimeters. It also comes within the spirit of the invention to provide, in an intermediate position of the thickness of the tile, dihedrals or prisms to distribute and deflect the light. In this case, the tile will be determined by at least two elements specularly facing each other and in strict cooperation with each other.

According to the invention, the light source, one or more according to how many are provided during the design stage, is hidden from view from the upper plane by means of screening means . According to a variant, the containing edge provides at least an upper frame which screens the light sources.

The light source is located in at least one corner. According to a variant, the light source is located at least in cooperation with one side. According to another variant, the light source is located in at least a position inside the perimeter.

According to the invention, in cooperation with the compartment or the hollow, the luminous tile can have means for the circulation of air such as peripheral and/or central slits or channels.

According to the invention, the light source is made in a single piece with the light conducting body, incorporating it in a light conducting material, and is stably anchored, and in a substantially uniform manner, on the body. Said light conducting material practically goes to saturate the space existing between the light source and the compartment or hollow, so as to conduct and convey the light towards the body. A possible screen located behind the light source accentuates the directionality of the light.

According to the invention, it is possible to provide a thin lower protective layer, from 0.4 mm to about 1.5-1.8 mm, which cooperates with the base surface and, possibly, includes gripping means.

Again according to the variant with greater thickness, in the division between the front part emitting light and the rear part, which has the energy accumulation means, the tile may include screening means to screen the light and/or heat .

According to a variant, the energy accumulation means and the connected other means occupy only a part of the rear part . The variants can be combined with each other.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of some preferential forms of embodiment, given as a non-restrictive example, with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

- fig. 1 shows a luminous tile with a frame and light source at least on a side portion;

- fig. 2 shows a luminous tile with filiform light sources, fluorescent or otherwise, cooperating with at least one side; it also shows a light source cooperating with a hollow present in one side; - fig. 3 shows a luminous tile with a light source located below and inside the perimeter; it also shows the case of a light source cooperating with a hollow obtained in correspondence with an edge;

- fig. 4 shows a luminous tile with a variant application of dihedrals or prisms;

- fig. 5 shows a luminous tile with ventilation channels; it also shows the lower recess.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME PREFERENTIAL EMBODIMENTS With reference to the attached figures, the number 10 denotes a luminous tile according to the present invention. With reference to figs. 1 to 4 , the tile 10 has a thickness 11 between about 5 mm and about 15 mm, coherent with the other tiles, of a conventional type, among which it is inserted and is able to be attached to a base in the same way as traditional tiles.

According to a variant, the tile 10 has a thickness 11 of between about 15 mm and about 35 mm.

The tile 10 has a containing edge 14 that, in this case, in figs. 1 and 5, defines above and below a frame 22 which also screens a light source 18, and at the same time creates a secure lower support. The frame 22 can have the upper part of the edge 122 level with the upper plane 21, or it can be recessed, so that the upper plane 21 is uniform.

The containing edge 14 has preferably a thin thickness variable from about some tenths of millimeter to about some millimeters. The height of the containing edge 14 is substantially equal to the thickness 11 of the tile 10.

The containing edge 14 may not have the frame 22.

In any case, the containing edge 14, that is, the frame 22, is anchored to a body 26, made of light conducting material, so as to hydraulically seal the whole perimeter.

According to a characteristic of the present invention, the body 26 consists of at least two superimposed layers 26a and 26b.

The upper plane 21 of the outer layer 26a can be treated by mordanting, sanding, mechanical working or other similar or comparable method.

A reflecting surface 13 cooperates with the lower plane, or base surface, or non-visible face 12 of the layer 26b. The reflecting surface 13 can be obtained with a strip, chromed or polished like a mirror, or by performing a mirror treatment of the surface, for example by means of metallization.

In the case that the reflecting surface 13 is obtained by metallization, a screen 30 may be provided (see fig. 1) with a thickness of between 0.4 and 1.8 mm of protection.

The screen 30 can include gripping means to grip with the base surface material .

The screen 30, if there is one, is advantageously sealed on the layer 26b of the body 26, or in the frame 22 or on the edge 14.

The energy inlet is obtained with cables, advantageously flat, possibly already sealed in the edge 14 or the base surface 12, so that no humidity can penetrate.

In the case of fig. 1, the reflecting surface 13 is obtained with a strip which extends into a compartment 19 obtained on the periphery of the body 26. In the case of fig. 1, the strip is reflecting also in the compartment 19 and has windows 16 in correspondence with the light sources 18 which consist, in this case, of LED installed on a relative printed circuit 15.

The reflection of the strip also in the compartment 19 serves to accentuate the luminosity of the tile 10.

The compartment 19, in the space left free by the light source 18, is filled with a light conducting material, so as to create a single piece between the body 26 and the light source 18, 118 and so as to give a physical continuity between the light source 18, 118 and the body 26; possible rear screens (for example, a printed circuit) improve the performance.

In the case of fig. 1, the light sources 18 are arranged on all the sides, provided that they can be arranged only on a part of a single side or on one or more corners (fig. 3) in appropriate hollows 319. Hollows 319 can also be present on one or more sides (fig. 2) .

The hollows 319, like the compartments 19, are substantially saturated with light conducting material, which creates a single piece between the light source 18,

118 and the body 26.

In the case of fig. 2, on the edge or side which has to accommodate the filiform light source 118, a compartment

119 is provided, or a compartment 19 as in fig. 1. In this case too, it is possible to fill the compartment 19 or 119 with a transparent filling.

Fig. 2 also indicates the possibility of accentuating, directing and conveying the reflection by providing, on the base surface 12, a plurality of dihedrals or prisms 23.

The prisms or dihedrals 23 can be arranged in a coil, concentric circles, according to the profile in concentric developments, linearly, cross-wise, etc. according to the effect to be obtained.

In the case of fig. 3, a tile 10 is shown with one or more light sources 18 located inside the periphery and one light source 18 present in a corner hollow 319.

In this case, on the base surface or on the lateral walls of the tile 10, a compartment 219 is created which contains the light sources 18 and the relative base 15.

As a variant, starting from one and/or another face of the body 26, holes are made inside which the filiform light source 118 is inserted, such as a fluorescent lamp. In the case of fig. 3, on the upper plane 21 of the layer 26b one or more screens 20 are advantageously applied, which can assume any form, such as a drawing, writing, symbol, etc., and which serve to hide the light source . According to a variant, the screening can be proposed in cooperation with an intermediate layer between the layers 26a and 26b, not shown in the drawings.

Fig. 4 shows a body 26 consisting of three layers: a central layer 26c, an upper layer 26a and a lower layer 26b.

The layers 26a and 26b are combined with the central layer 26c either by means of plane surfaces, or by means of mating surfaces defined by prisms or dihedrals present on the respective faces 123, 223 of the central layer 26c. At least the upper layer 26a, but advantageously all three layers 26a, 26b and 26c, is made of glass or other transparent material .

In the case of fig. 4, the material which constitutes - li ¬

the central layer 26c and the layers 26a or 26b can be the same or different.

The necessary energy is fed by means of flat or multiple cables, advantageously extremely thin, insulated and sealed at the entrance to the tile 10.

Fig. 5 shows the variant with greater thickness. This variant provides a compartment 126, which can cover the whole surface or part of it. The compartment 126 has a thickness 111, which can be equal to, or different from, the thickness 11, and contains both energy accumulation means and electric and/or electronic equipment connected thereto. Such accumulation means are able to be independently driven by means of suitable signals (remote control, remote signal, lack of energy, etc.) generated in any known manner. Such signals can activate the light sources of a single tile 10, or light sources of a plurality of tiles 10, in order to act as a signal or to vary the light.

In the case of fig. 5, small ventilation channels 27 are provided.

Moreover in the case shown in fig. 5, the base surface is closed and sealed by a closing and containing wall 113 which is also able, possibly, to position the above- mentioned means present in the compartment 126. The wall 13 not only performs reflecting functions, but also heat insulation functions; or, with the surface facing the outlet of the light, it can perform signaling and/or communication functions.

It is clear, however, that modifications and/or additions of parts may be made to the luminous tile 10 as described heretofore, such as different types of perimeter frames, different conformations of the outer surface, different combinations of light sources, etc., without departing from the field and scope of the present invention. Moreover, the various variants and geometric solutions may be combined with each other.

Claims

1. Luminous tile able to be applied directly to the floor or to a wall, wherein said luminous tile (10) comprises a perimeter containing edge (14) which substantially defines the geometric perimeter of said luminous tile (10), wherein said perimeter containing edge (14) has a thin thickness and a predetermined height substantially equal to the thickness of any conventional tile, and wherein the upper surface of said luminous tile (10) is able to deliver light, characterized in that said luminous tile (10), internally to said perimeter containing edge (14), is defined by at least a body (26) made of light conducting material and having a thickness (11) substantially equal to the height of said perimeter containing edge (14), said body (26) comprising at least two superimposed layers (26a, 26b), solid with said perimeter containing edge (14) and having at least the non-visible face (12) cooperating with reflecting means (13), at least a light source (18, 118) being optically connected with said body (26) and immersed in a light conducting material connected with said body (26) .

2. Luminous tile as in claim 1, characterized in that it has a thickness (11) of between about 5 mm and about 15 mm.

3. Luminous tile as in claim 1, characterized in that it has a thickness (11) of between about 15 mm and about 35 mm.

4 . Luminous ti l e as in any c laim hereinbe f ore , characterized in that at least one layer ( 26a ) of said body ( 26 ) is made of glass .

5 . Luminous tile as in any claim from 1 to 3 , characterized in that at least one layer (26a) of said body (26 ) is made of l ight conducting plastic material (methacrylate , polycarbonate , or suchlike) .

6. Luminous tile as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that it has at least one edge cooperating at least in part with reflecting means (13) .

7. Luminous tile as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that said perimeter containing edge (14) has a frame (22) which screens said light source (18, 118).

8. Luminous tile as in any claim from 1 to 6 , characterized in that said perimeter containing edge (14) defines the edge of said luminous tile (10) and said light source (18, 118) cooperates with upper or intermediate screening means (20) .

9. Luminous tile as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that it comprises said non-visible face (12) with dihedrals or prisms (23) .

10. Luminous tile as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that said body (26) comprises at least three layers (26a, 26b, 26c) and that a connection interface (123, 223), mating between one and the other of said layers (26a, 26b, 26c), is defined by dihedrals or prisms (23 ) .

11. Luminous tile as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that said light source (18) comprises at least a LED.

12. Luminous tile as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that said light source (118) comprises at least a fluorescent filiform lamp or suchlike.

13. Luminous tile as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that, on at least one edge of said body (26), a compartment (19, 119) is provided to house said light source (18, 118) .

14. Luminous tile as in any claim from 1 to 12, characterized in that at least a hollow (319) is provided in said body (26) to contain said light source (18, 118) in correspondence with an edge or an intermediate part of one side, said hollow (319) defining at least part of the height of said body (26) .

15. Luminous tile as in any claim from 1 to 12, characterized in that it further comprises a compartment

(219) made in an intermediate position with respect to the periphery of said body (26) .

16. Luminous tile as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that the upper plane (21) of said body (26) is treated by means of mordanting, sanding, mechanical working or a mixture thereof .

17. Luminous tile as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that energy accumulation means are provided in the lower rear part .

18. Luminous tile as in claim 17, characterized in that activating means to activate said energy accumulation means are provided in said lower rear part.

19. Luminous tile as in claim 17 or 18, characterized in that said energy accumulation means are able to drive all said light sources (18, 118) .

20. Luminous tile as in claim 17 or 18, characterized in that said energy accumulation means are able to drive solely some of said light sources (18, 118) .