Light reflecting assembly

• US 10,534,220 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2018
• Issued: 01/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd. (Funai Electric Holdings Company Limited)
• Inventors: Kawada, Kazuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Han, Jason M
• Application Number:
  US16/171,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20190064593A1
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 362 971- 972, 362632-634, 349 58
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/04 Optical design
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133605 including specially adapted reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133608 including particular frames or supporting means

Abstract

A light reflecting assembly includes a cabinet and a light reflecting member. The light reflecting member includes a center reflecting part, four peripheral reflecting parts and a tongue part. Side end portions of an adjacent pair of the peripheral reflecting parts form a corner section of the light reflecting member at a corner portion of the center reflecting part while the light reflecting member is attached to the cabinet. The tongue part extends from one of the side end portions of the adjacent pair of the peripheral reflecting parts towards the other of the side end portions of the adjacent pair of the peripheral reflecting parts. The tongue part at least partially overlaps with the other of the side end portions of the adjacent pair of the peripheral reflecting parts while the light reflecting member is attached to the cabinet.

Claims

1. A light reflecting assembly for a backlight module comprising:

a cabinet including a bottom part, two first side parts and two second side parts, the first and second side parts extending frontward from peripheral portions of the bottom part, respectively, the first and second side parts defining an interior of the cabinet therebetween; and

a light reflecting member arranged relative to the cabinet to reflect light emitted from a light source, the light reflecting member including

a center reflecting part having two first opposite side portions and two second opposite side portions,

four peripheral reflecting parts extending from the first and second opposite side portions of the center reflecting part, respectively, the peripheral reflecting parts each having a trapezoidal shape with a lower base and an upper base that is longer than the lower base, side end portions of an adjacent pair of the peripheral reflecting parts forming a corner section of the light reflecting member at a corner portion of the center reflecting part while the light reflecting member is attached to the cabinet, and

a tongue part extending from one of the side end portions of the adjacent pair of the peripheral reflecting parts towards the other of the side end portions of the adjacent pair of the peripheral reflecting parts, the tongue part at least partially overlapping with the other of the side end portions of the adjacent pair of the peripheral reflecting parts while the light reflecting member is attached to the cabinet.

2. The light reflecting assembly according to claim 1, wherein

each of the side end portions of the adjacent pair of the peripheral reflecting parts has first and second ends, with the first end of each of the side end portions being located closer to the corner portion of the center reflecting part than the second end of each of the side end portions, and

the tongue part is entirely disposed within an area enclosed by the side end portions and an imaginary line extending between the second ends of the side end portions the adjacent pair of the peripheral reflecting parts.

3. The light reflecting assembly according to claim 1, wherein

the tongue part of the light reflecting member has a peripheral edge with first and second ends, with the first end of the peripheral edge being located closer to the corner portion of the center reflecting part than the second end of the peripheral edge, and

a distance between the peripheral edge of the tongue part and the other of the side end portions of the adjacent pair of the peripheral reflecting parts increasing as approaching the second end from the first end along the peripheral edge of the tongue part.

4. The light reflecting assembly according to claim 3, wherein

the peripheral edge of the tongue part is disposed on a rear side of the other of the side end portions of the adjacent pair of the peripheral reflecting parts while the light reflecting member is attached to the frame.

5. The light reflecting assembly according to claim 1, wherein

while the light reflecting member is attached to the cabinet, the center reflecting part and the peripheral reflecting parts being disposed within the interior of the cabinet, the peripheral reflecting parts being slanted with respect to the center reflecting part, respectively, and the peripheral reflecting parts extending in an opening direction of the cabinet and outward from the first and second opposite side portions of the center reflecting part, respectively.

6. The light reflecting assembly according to claim 1, wherein

the light reflecting member further includes four extension parts that extend from the upper bases of the peripheral reflecting parts, respectively.

7. The light reflecting assembly according to claim 6, wherein

the extension parts are arranged parallel to the center reflecting part of the light reflecting member while the light reflecting member is attached to the cabinet.

8. The light reflecting assembly according to claim 7, wherein

the light reflecting member has a first depth measured between the center reflecting part and the extension parts in a direction perpendicular to the center reflecting part while the light reflecting member is attached to the cabinet, and

the cabinet has a second depth measured between an inner surface of the bottom part and a top surface of one of the first and second side parts in a direction perpendicular to the inner surface of the bottom part, with the second depth of the cabinet being larger than the first depth of the light reflecting member, at least part of the center reflecting part of the light reflecting member being spaced apart from the inner surface of the bottom part while the light reflecting member is attached to the cabinet.

9. The light reflecting assembly according to claim 8, wherein

while the light reflecting member is attached to the cabinet, an inner edge of one of the extension parts is aligned with an inner edge of the top surface of one of the first and second side parts on which the one of the extension parts is disposed as viewed in the direction perpendicular to the center reflecting part.

10. The light reflecting assembly according to claim 6, further comprising

a plurality of optical sheets disposed on the light reflecting member, the optical sheets at least partially overlapping with the extension parts of the light reflecting member as viewed in a direction perpendicular to the center reflecting part while the light reflecting member is attached to the cabinet.

11. The light reflecting assembly according to claim 6, wherein

while the light reflecting member is attached to the cabinet, the extension parts are disposed on the first and second side parts of the cabinet, respectively.

12. The light reflecting assembly according to claim 6, wherein

the extension parts are disposed along entire lengths of the upper bases of the peripheral reflecting parts, respectively.

13. The light reflecting assembly according to claim 12, wherein

the extension parts have an overall rectangular shape.

14. The light reflecting assembly according to claim 12, wherein

the extension parts have a first width measured in a widthwise direction perpendicular to a lengthwise direction of the extension parts, and

the first side parts and the second side parts have a second width measured in the widthwise direction, with the second width being larger than the first width.

15. The light reflecting assembly according to claim 1, wherein

the side end portions of the adjacent pair of the peripheral reflecting parts abut against each other to form the corner section of the light reflecting member while the light reflecting member is attached to the cabinet.

16. The light reflecting assembly according to claim 1, wherein

the side end portions of the adjacent pair of the peripheral reflecting parts define an abutment interface while the light reflecting member is attached to the cabinet, and

the abutment interface extends from the corner portion of the center reflecting part in a direction that intersects with a diagonal of the center reflecting part that extends through the corner portion of the center reflecting part as viewed in a direction perpendicular to the center reflecting part.

17. The light reflecting assembly according to claim 1, wherein

the peripheral reflecting parts of the light reflecting member each have an isosceles trapezoidal shape as the trapezoidal shape.

18. The light reflecting assembly according to claim 1, wherein

one of the first and second side parts of the cabinet extends perpendicularly frontward with respect to the bottom part, and

the one of the first and second side parts of the cabinet and corresponding one of the peripheral reflecting parts that is adjacently opposite the one of the first and second side parts of the cabinet define a spacing therebetween while the light reflecting member is attached to the cabinet.

19. The light reflecting assembly according to claim 1, wherein

at least one of the first and second side parts of the cabinet has an outer surface that is perpendicular to the bottom part of the cabinet.

20. A backlight module comprising:

the light reflecting assembly according to claim 1; and

at least one light source that emits light.

21. The backlight module according to claim 20, wherein

the at least one light source includes a plurality of light sources arranged with respect to the cabinet, the light sources being symmetrically arranged relative to the cabinet with respect to a horizontal center plane of the backlight module.