Illumination device and liquid crystal display device

• US 20040022515A1
• Filed: 07/14/2003
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sugiura, Takuro, Yamashita, Tatsumaro
• Granted Patent: US 7,040,796 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/146
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0038 Linear indentations or grooves, e.g. arc-shaped grooves or meandering grooves, extending over the full length or width of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133616 Front illuminating devices

Abstract

In a front light, an intermediate light guide protrudes from a light guide plate toward a light emitting element in the direction along a light incident face of the light guide plate. A side face of the intermediate light guide opposing the light incident face serves as an emergent face from which light from the light emitting element is emitted to the light guide plate, and an outer side face remote from the emergent face serves as a reflecting face for reflecting light propagating inside the intermediate light guide. The outer side face of the intermediate light guide is provided with a prism face having a plurality of grooves of wedge-shaped cross section, and a reflective film formed thereon. The prism face is provided distant from an end face of the intermediate light guide close to the light emitting element.

Claims

1. An illumination device comprising:

a light guide plate;

an intermediate light guide disposed along one side face of the light guide plate; and

a light emitting element disposed at an end face in the lengthwise direction of the intermediate light guide,

wherein the side face of the light guide plate serves as a light incident face from which light is introduced, light emitted from the light emitting element is introduced into the light guide plate through the intermediate light guide and the light incident face, and the light propagating inside the light guide plate is emitted from one surface of the light guide plate, and

wherein the intermediate light guide protrudes from the light guide plate in a direction along the light incident face of the light guide plate toward the light emitting element, a side face of the intermediate light guide opposing the side face of the light guide plate serves as an emergent face from which the light from the light emitting element emerges toward the light guide plate, and an outer side face of the intermediate light guide remote from the emergent face serves as a reflecting face for reflecting the light propagating inside the intermediate light guide.

2. An illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the outer side face of the intermediate light guide is provided with a prism face having a plurality of grooves of wedge-shaped cross section, and a reflective film formed on the prism face.

3. An illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the outer side face of the intermediate light guide is provided with an uneven face having a plurality of minute irregularities, and a reflective film formed on the uneven face.

4. An illumination device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the prism face or the uneven face of the intermediate light guide is provided distant from the end face of the intermediate light guide.

5. An illumination device according to claim 4, wherein the prism face or the uneven face on the outer side face of the intermediate light guide extends from a position at a distance within the range of −

1 mm to +0.5 mm from an extension line of an end face of the light guide plate close to the light emitting element, the extension line reaching the outer side face of the intermediate light guide, when the symbol “

−

”

indicates a side offset from the extension line toward the light emitting element, and the symbol “

+”

indicates a side offset from the extension line away from the light emitting element.

6. An illumination device according to claim 4, wherein the prism face or the uneven face on the outer side face of the intermediate light guide extends from a position at a distance within the range of 0.5 mm to +0.5 mm from an extension line of an end face of the light guide plate close to the light emitting element, the extension line reaching the outer side face of the intermediate light guide, when the symbol “

−

”

indicates a side offset from the extension line toward the light emitting element, and the symbol “

+”

indicates a side offset from the extension line away from the light emitting element.

7. An illumination device according to claim 4, wherein the prism face or the uneven face on the outer side face of the intermediate light guide extends from an extension line of an end face of the light guide plate close to the light emitting element, the extension line reaching the outer side face of the intermediate light guide.

8. An illumination device according to claim 2, wherein the pitch of the grooves exponentially or quadratically decreases away from the light emitting element.

9. An illumination device according to claim 2, wherein the depth of the grooves exponentially or cubicly increases away from the light emitting element.

10. An illumination device according to claim 2, wherein each of the grooves has a pair of inclined faces for reflecting light, and the angle defined by the inclined faces is within the range of 105°

to 115°

.

11. An illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the other surface of the light guide plate is provided with a plurality of prism grooves arranged in stripes in plan view and having gently inclined faces and sharply inclined faces inclined more sharply than the gently inclined faces.

12. An illumination device according to claim 11, wherein the extending direction of the prism grooves in the light guide plate intersects the light incident face.

13. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

an illumination device; and

a liquid crystal display unit to be illuminated by the illumination device,

wherein the illumination device comprises;

a light guide plate;

an intermediate light guide disposed along one side face of the light guide plate; and

a light emitting element disposed at an end face in the lengthwise direction of the intermediate light guide,

wherein the side face of the light guide plate serves as a light incident face from which light is introduced, light emitted from the light emitting element is introduced into the light guide plate through the intermediate light guide and the light incident face, and the light propagating inside the light guide plate is emitted from one surface of the light guide plate, and

wherein the intermediate light guide protrudes from the light guide plate in a direction along the light incident face of the light guide plate toward the light emitting element, a side face of the intermediate light guide opposing the side face of the light guide plate serves as an emergent face from which the light from the light emitting element emerges toward the light guide plate, and an outer side face of the intermediate light guide remote from the emergent face serves as a reflecting face for reflecting the light propagating inside the intermediate light guide.