LIGHTING DEVICE

Abstract

The invention relates to a lighting device comprising an illuminant embodied as an OLED, and comprising a capacitive switching means, which are arranged on a substrate, wherein the illuminant has a first electrically conductive electrode and a second electrically conductive electrode, wherein a layer comprising organic, electroluminescent material is arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the switching means has an electrode, wherein one electrode from the first electrode or the second electrode of the illuminant together with the electrode of the switching means is arranged in one plane, wherein a nonconductive spacing amounting to between 100 μm and 700 μm, more particularly between 400 μm and 600 μm, is present between said one electrode of the illuminant and the electrode of the switching means in the plane.

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15. A lighting device with a lighting means formed as an OLED and with a capacitive switching means, which are arranged on a substrate, the lighting means having a first electrically conductive electrode and a second electrically conductive electrode, a layer with organic, electroluminescent material being arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode, the switching means having an electrode, one electrode out of the first electrode and the second electrode of the lighting means being arranged in a plane with the electrode of the switching means, wherein between the one electrode of the lighting means and the electrode of the switching means in the plane there is a non-conducting spacing, which is between 100 μm and 700 μm, in particular between 400 μm and 600 μm.

16. The lighting device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first electrode or the second electrode of the lighting means and the electrode of the switching means are formed as an electrode layer on the substrate.

17. The lighting device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first electrode or the second electrode of the lighting means and the electrode of the switching means are formed as a patterned electrically conductive layer on the substrate.

18. The lighting device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the conductive layer on the substrate is a transparent electrically conductive layer, such as in particular a transparent electrically conductive oxide layer and/or consists of tin oxide, zinc oxide, cadmium oxide, titanium oxide, indium oxide or indium tin oxide or of some other oxide compound containing zinc, tin, indium, cadmium, magnesium and/or gallium or of a mixture of oxides.

19. The lighting device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the electrode of the switching means is provided on the side remote from the substrate with a first thin-film encapsulation.

20. The lighting device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the electrode of the lighting means remote from the substrate is provided with a second thin-film encapsulation.

21. The lighting device as claimed in claim 20, wherein the second thin-film encapsulation covers over the first thin-film encapsulation.

22. The lighting device as claimed in claim 20, wherein the second thin-film encapsulation is covered by a covering.

23. The lighting device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the region of the lighting means that is visible as a luminous area on the surface is of a transparent, reflective or matt form.

24. The lighting device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the region of the switching means that is formed as a switching region on the surface is of a transparent, reflective or matt form.

25. The lighting device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the switching region is provided with a metallic border.

26. The lighting device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the substrate is formed from glass and/or from a flexible material.

27. The lighting device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the lighting means is of a two-dimensional form, and the capacitive switching means is enclosed on three sides by means of the lighting means and is integrated in the surface area of the lighting device.

28. The lighting device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the electrode of the switching means is provided on the side remote from the substrate with a first thin-film encapsulation; applied above this thin-film encapsulation there is a further electrode; and provided over the further electrode there is a further thin-film encapsulation.

29. The lighting device as claimed in claim 28, wherein the further thin-film encapsulation covers the capacitive switching means, the lighting means and the spacing.

30. A method for producing a lighting device, in particular as claimed in claim 15, the lighting device being formed with a lighting means formed as an OLED and with a capacitive switching means, which are arranged on a substrate, the lighting means having a first electrically conductive electrode and a second electrically conductive electrode, a layer with organic, electroluminescent material being arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode, the switching means having an electrode, one electrode out of the first electrode and the second electrode of the lighting means being arranged in a plane with the electrode of the switching means, wherein the one electrode of the lighting means and the electrode of the switching means are applied to the substrate and delimited from one another by a patterning step before the layers that are subsequently to be applied are applied.

31. The method as claimed in claim 30, wherein the delimitation leads to a distance between the electrodes in the plane with a non-conducting spacing, the spacing being between 400 μm and 600 μm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The invention is described in more detail below on the basis of at least one exemplary embodiment with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0024] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of a lighting device,

[0025] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a further exemplary embodiment of a lighting device,

[0026] FIG. 3 shows a section through an exemplary embodiment of a lighting device,

[0027] FIG. 4 shows a partial view of a lighting device according to the invention,

[0028] FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of operating scenarios of a lighting device according to the invention,

[0029] FIG. 6 shows a diagram to represent a profile of a level swing of a useful signal as a function of the spacing width, and

[0030] FIG. 7 shows a section through a further exemplary embodiment of a lighting device.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0031] FIG. 1 shows in a schematic representation a lighting device 1, which has a lighting means 2 and a switching means. The lighting means 2 is of a two-dimensional form and in the embodiment shown encloses the switching means 3 on three sides, and consequently integrates the switching means in the surface area of the lighting device 1. The lighting means 2 is preferably of a rectangular form with rounded corners and accommodates the switching means 3 on one of the longitudinal sides of the latter. In this exemplary embodiment, the switching means is also of a rectangular form with rounded corners. Provided between the switching means 3 and the lighting means 2 there is a spacing 4, so that there is a clear separation between the two functional regions.

[0032] According to the invention, not only the lighting means 2 and the switching means 3 but also the profile 4 of the spacing may be formed differently. The switching means 3 may also be arranged and aligned differently in relation to the lighting means 2 in the lighting device 1. It is for instance also possible for the switching means 3 to be enclosed by the lighting means on all sides. It is also possible to provide a number of switching means 3, by means of which a lighting means 2 or a plurality of lighting means 2 can be activated or can be actuated.

[0033] FIG. 2 shows in a schematic representation a further exemplary embodiment of a lighting device 10, which has two lighting means 11 and two switching means 12. The two lighting means 11 are arranged adjacent to one another and are separated from one another by a non-luminous strip 13. In this way, it is possible for example to create an interior light for a motor vehicle that can be controlled separately on the right and left.

[0034] The lighting means 11 are each of a two-dimensional form and in the embodiment shown in each case enclose one of the switching means 12 on three sides, and integrate the respective switching means 12 in the surface area of the lighting device 1. The lighting means 11 is in turn of a substantially rectangular form, with partially rounded corners, the two lighting means being formed symmetrically in relation to the non-luminous strip 13. In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2, the respective switching means are of a substantially rectangular form with rounded corners. The two switching means are arranged on a common longitudinal side of the lighting device 10.

[0035] Provided between the switching means 12 and the respective lighting means 11 there is again a corresponding spacing 14, which separates the lighting means 11 from the respective switching means. This achieves separation of the two functional regions of the lighting means 11 and the switching means 12.

[0036] FIG. 3 shows a section through the layer structure of the lighting device 20. Arranged on a substrate 21, which is advantageously formed as a substrate glass, there is the layer structure of the OLED 25 with a first electrode 22, a second electrode 23 and a layer 24 of an organic, electroluminescent material between the two electrodes 22, 23. Arranged in a clearance between the OLED 25 formed in this way there is a capacitive switching means 26, which has an electrode 27, which is formed on the substrate 21. In this case, the electrode 27 is preferably formed from the same material as the electrode 22 of the OLED. The electrode is preferably formed as an electrically conductive layer of tin oxide, zinc oxide, cadmium oxide, titanium oxide, indium oxide or indium tin oxide or of some other oxide compound containing zinc, tin, indium, cadmium, magnesium and/or gallium or of a mixture of oxides. These compounds are electrically conductive and at least partially also transparent or semitransparent to light in the visible wavelength range.

[0037] On the electrode 27 there is applied a thin-film encapsulation (TFE) 28. Provided above this thin-film encapsulation 28 there is over the further electrodes 23 a further thin-film encapsulation 29, which is covered by a covering layer 30, for example of a glass.

[0038] Provided between the electrode 22 and the electrode 27 there is a spacing 31, which lies in the range according to the invention between 100 μm and 700 μm, in particular between 400 μm and 600 μm, so that there is no crosstalk between the two electrodes that could upon actuation lead to disturbing effects.

[0039] FIG. 4 shows in a schematic representation a lighting device 40 with a lighting means 41 formed as an OLED and with a switching means 42, the lighting means 41 being separated from the switching means by a spacing 42 with the distance 43, d.

[0040] If there is sufficient distance 43, d, actuation over a large area of the light emission area of the lighting means 41 according to the left part of the figure of FIG. 5 does not bring about any unwanted change in capacitance, and consequently does not bring about any consequently triggered fault sensing of the capacitive sensor as a switching means 42. If operated with one finger on the switching means 42, according to the right part of the figure of FIG. 5, a sufficiently differentiable useful signal of the switching means 42 is generated.

[0041] FIG. 6 shows the useful swing signal N as a function of the spacing width d. It can be seen that the useful swing signal N rises substantially linearly in three regions, rising with the greatest slope S1 in a first region from d1 to d2, then with a smaller slope S2 between d2 and d3 and with an again smaller slope S3 between d3 and approximately d4. For d less than d2, the useful swing signals N are too small for good resolution and, for d greater than d3, the slope S3 is so small that an increase in the spacing width does not show any further significant effect. The characteristic spacing width in this case lies substantially between 100 μm and 700 μm, in particular between 400 μm and 600 μm.

[0042] FIG. 7 shows a section through the layer structure of a further exemplary embodiment of a lighting device 120. Arranged on a substrate 121, which is advantageously formed as a substrate glass, there is the layer structure of the OLED 125 with a first electrode 122, a second electrode 123 and a layer 124 of an organic, electroluminescent material between the two electrodes 122, 123. Arranged in a clearance between the OLED 125 formed in this way there is a capacitive switching means 126, which has an electrode 127, which is formed on the substrate 121. A further electrode 132 may also be provided, spaced apart from the electrode 127. In a further exemplary embodiment, this further electrode may also be provided as an alternative to the electrode 127.

[0043] In this case, the electrode 127 is preferably formed from the same material as the electrode 122 of the OLED or furthermore the electrode 132 is formed from the same material as the electrode 123. The electrode 122, 123, 127, 132 is preferably formed as an electrically conductive layer of tin oxide, zinc oxide, cadmium oxide, titanium oxide, indium oxide or indium tin oxide or of some other oxide compound containing zinc, tin, indium, cadmium, magnesium and/or gallium or of a mixture of oxides. These compounds are electrically conductive and at least partially also transparent or semitransparent to light in the visible wavelength range.

[0044] On the electrode 127 there is applied a thin-film encapsulation (TFE) 128. Applied above this thin-film encapsulation 128 there is the further electrode 132, there being provided over the further electrodes 123, 132 a further thin-film encapsulation 129, which is covered by a covering layer 130, for example of a glass.

[0045] Provided between the electrode 122 and the electrode 127 there is a spacing 131, which lies in the range according to the invention between 100 μm and 700 μm, in particular between 400 μm and 600 μm, so that there is no crosstalk between the two electrodes 122 and 127 or 123 and 132 that could upon actuation lead to disturbing effects.

[0046] According to the idea of the invention, it is in this case advantageous in particular if the substrate is formed from glass and/or from a flexible material, such as for example from a plastic.

LIST OF DESIGNATIONS

[0047] 1 Lighting device

[0048] 2 Lighting means

[0049] 3 Switching means

[0050] 4 Spacing

[0051] 10 Lighting device

[0052] 11 Lighting means

[0053] 12 Switching means

[0054] 13 Strip

[0055] 14 Spacing

[0056] 20 Lighting device

[0057] 21 Substrate

[0058] 22 Electrode

[0059] 23 Electrode

[0060] 24 Organic layer

[0061] 25 OLED

[0062] 26 Switching means

[0063] 27 Electrode

[0064] 28 Thin-film encapsulation

[0065] 29 Thin-film encapsulation

[0066] 30 Covering layer

[0067] 31 Spacing

[0068] 40 Lighting device

[0069] 41 Lighting means

[0070] 42 Switching means

[0071] 43 Distance

[0072] 120 Lighting device

[0073] 121 Substrate

[0074] 122 Electrode

[0075] 123 Electrode

[0076] 124 Organic layer

[0077] 125 OLED

[0078] 126 Switching means

[0079] 127 Electrode

[0080] 128 Thin-film encapsulation

[0081] 129 Thin-film encapsulation

[0082] 130 Covering layer

[0083] 131 Spacing

[0084] 132 Electrode