edge lighting scrubbers

[Pulse]

Have you seen the light diffusers used for laptops etc? They are basically prisms that distribute light from the edge evenly across one surface. Is it just me or does this sound perfect for creating waterproof light sources for screens? You could "stack" screens with edge lighting diffusers between them for large systems or light the inside of a scrubber that is in an all in one or UAS configuration without having to put electricity under water.

[M I N I O N]

I work with these. You are much better off with the traditional designs which everybody is already using. The reason for this is the complete lack of intensity that the edge-lit LED acrylic panels put out. Photons are sent through the entire length of the acrylic, ruining all PAR values. The percentage of light which actually reaches the diffused area is quite small. We also use large acrylic panels with white backgrounds. The panels are edge-lit from each side and feature fiber optics spaced only millimeters apart. This system transfers much more of the light from the LEDs forward from the edge but it does so by diffusing it across a medium, again significantly decreasing PAR values.

[Pulse]

That's to bad. Do you think you could use a very tight optic on the LED and shine it through air at an angled mirror? It would still loose some light but at least it would not be going through acrylic. This seems like it could be very usefull for people who have screens that are only lit from one side due to a confined space.

BTW, what do you use these for?

[M I N I O N]

You could potentially do that but you are still best off just going with the traditional acrylic box lit from both sides. Any time that you have mirrors or reflectors, you have to worry about cleaning them regularly for salt. Chances are, most people with space restraints would benefit from one of the acrylic boxes as they can be mounted just about anywhere. The LEDs that most people are using to light these are very low profile. You may even be able to get away with the flexible LED strip lights where are even more low profile. The 5050smd chipsets that they use are actually very efficient so covering the entire heat sink with them may prove to be an effective option and could make the entire assembly very thin.

I work in the green renovation industry and one of the branches which I cover is energy efficient signs/advertising for businesses. We we do edge-lit acrylic signs quite frequently. The tool you use to build these is very much like a CNC machine but it uses a CO2-type laser beam. I'm actually in the market for a CO2 laser cutter/engraver for myself to build acrylic components for protein skimmers and such.