Light source device with optical guiding member and planar light source device employing same

• US 20050007758A1
• Filed: 07/12/2004
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Chun-Yu, Jiang, Tsung-Wei, Tsai, Ming-Chiang
• Granted Patent: US 7,033,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/610
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0028 Light guide, e.g. taper
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0031 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0096 the lights guides being of the hollow type

Abstract

A light source device (2) and a planar light source device (6) for a liquid crystal display device. The planar light source device includes a light source device and a light guide plate (67). The light source device includes a light-emitting element (21) and an optical guiding member (20) having a reflective surface. The reflective surface receives light rays emitted by the light-emitting element (21), and guiding the light rays out from a plurality of generally aligned through holes (23) defined in a front light-emitting surface (28) of the optical guiding member. The light guide plate has a light incident surface being adjacent to the light source device. The planar light source device can diminish greatly possible dark regions on the light-emitting surface of the light guide plate and provide uniform illumination for an LCD.

Claims

1. A light source device for emitting light beams to a light guide plate, comprising:

a light-emitting element;

an optical guiding member having a reflective surface, the surface receiving light rays emitted by the light-emitting element and guiding the light rays out from a plurality of generally aligned light-emitting exits defined in a front side of the optical guiding member.

2. The light source device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light-emitting element is a light-emitting diode.

3. The light source device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical guiding member is a hollow body, and the surface is a light reflective inner surface.

4. The light source device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the light-emitting element is set at a second side of the optical guiding member not being the front side.

5. The light source device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the light-emitting element is fixed in an opening defined in said second side of the optical guiding member.

6. The light source device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the light-emitting element is fixed adjacent to said second side of the optical guiding member, and is optically coupled to an opening defined in said second side in order to emit light rays into the optical guiding member.

7. The light source device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical guiding member is a transparent, solid body, and the surface is a light reflective outer surface.

8. The light source device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the light-emitting element is fixed in a concavity defined in a second side of the optical guiding member not being the front side.

9. The light source device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the light-emitting element is arranged adjacent to an outside of a second side of the optical guiding member not being the front side, so that the light-emitting element can emit light rays into the optical guiding member.

10. The light source device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light-emitting exits are spaced apart at equal intervals, and sizes of the light-emitting exits progressively increase from an end of the line of light-emitting exits adjacent to the light-emitting element to an opposite end of the line of light-emitting exits distal from the light-emitting element.

11. The light source device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light source device comprises two spaced-apart light-emitting elements, the light-emitting exits are spaced apart at equal intervals, and sizes of the light-emitting exits progressively increase from each of two opposite ends of the line of light-emitting exits to a center of the line of light-emitting exits.

12. The light source device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light source device comprises two spaced-apart light-emitting elements, the light-emitting exits are substantially the same size, and intervals between two adjacent light-emitting exits progressively decrease in length from each of two opposite ends of the line of light-emitting exits to a center of the line of light-emitting exits.

13. The light source device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light source device comprises two or more spaced-apart light-emitting elements, the number of light-emitting exits is greater than the number of said light-emitting elements, and an interval between any two light-emitting exits is smaller than an interval between two adjacent corresponding light-emitting elements.

14. The light source device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical guiding member is substantially arch-shaped, cylindrical or semi-cylindrical.

15. A planar light source device comprising:

a light source device comprising;

a light-emitting element; and

an optical guiding member having a reflective surface, the surface receiving light rays emitted by the light-emitting element and guiding the light rays out from a plurality of generally aligned light-emitting exits defined in a front side of the optical guiding member.

a light guide plate having a light incident surface adjacent to the front side of the optical guiding member.

16. The planar light source device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the optical guiding member is substantially arch-shaped, cylindrical or semi-cylindrical.

17. The planar light source device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the light-emitting element is set at a side of the optical guiding member not being the front side, and sizes of the light-emitting exits progressively increase from an end of the line of light-emitting exits adjacent to the light-emitting element to an opposite end of the line of light-emitting exits distal from the light-emitting element.

18. A planar light source device comprising:

a light source device comprising;

a light-emitting element; and

an optical guiding member receiving said light-emitting element and having inner reflective surfaces reflecting light rays emitted from said light-emitting element toward a plurality of light-emitting exits defined in at least a first side of the optical guiding member;

a light guide plate having a light incident surface adjacent to said side of the optical guiding member.

19. The device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said light-emitting device is located on a second side of the guiding member, and said second side does not face toward the first side.