Fiberoptic Backlighting Panels
Ideal for LCDs, membrane switches and a variety of special backlighting applications, these thin, light-emitting panels are woven from plastic optical fibers, and provide long life (100,000+ hours), operate at very low power (avg. 5 mW per sq. in.) emit no heat or EMI, and require no inverter to power them up.
This technology allows a standard 2 X 16 LCD (assuming a viewing area of 16.0 mm X up to 200 mm) to be backlit using just one LED, with an output of about 30 Ft-L at just 30 mA. (Larger panels may require additional LEDs.)
Light enters the panel through the highly polished fiber ends. Computer controlled "macro-bends" cause the transmitted light to be emitted from the sides of the fibers through the fiber cladding. The cladding itself is not scratched, hot-stamped or etched. Precisely engineered construction causes all light to be emitted uniformly and efficiently along the length of the panel.
Multiple layers of fiber optic weave can be assembled together with double-sided adhesive into as many as eight layers, adding additional brightness with each layer. A Mylar reflector is laminated to the back and a clear vinyl top layer is added for extra durability. For some applications (such as LCD backlighting), a semi-transparent diffusion layer is placed between the top weave layer and the clear vinyl.
Standard LED colors include- Green, White, Blue, Red, Amber and YellowGreen.
The backlights are used in industrial, medical, marine, aviation, automotive and communications applications.
Lumitex, Inc., 8443 Dow Circle, Strongsville, OH 44136. Tel: 800-969-5483 or 440-243-8401. Fax: 440-243-8402.