Backlight unit

• US 20060002152A1
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Seok Woo, Kim, Do Yune
• Granted Patent: US 7,645,063 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/632
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/002 by shaping at least a portion of the light guide, e.g. with collimating, focussing or diverging surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/003 Lens or lenticular sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0031 Reflecting element, sheet or layer

Abstract

A backlight unit, in which an incident surface of a light-guiding plate is formed in a shape of a curve, or a curve-shaped structure is formed in a housing to improve the light efficiency. The backlight unit includes a light source emitting light; a housing surrounding the light source; a light-guiding plate guiding the light emitted from the light source to an LCD panel, wherein the light-guiding plate has an incident surface formed in a shape of a curve; and a reflective sheet formed under the light-guiding plate.

Claims

1. A backlight unit comprising:

a light source emitting light;

a housing surrounding the light source;

a light-guiding plate guiding the light emitted from the light source to an LCD panel, wherein the light-guiding plate has an incident surface formed in a shape of a curve; and

a reflective sheet formed under the light-guiding plate.

2. The backlight unit of claim 1, wherein the incident surface of the light-guiding plate is formed in the shape of a convex surface.

3. The backlight unit of claim 1, wherein the incident surface of the light-guiding plate is formed in the shape of a concave surface.

4. The backlight unit of claim 1, further comprising optical sheets between the light-guiding plate and the LCD panel.

5. A backlight unit comprising:

a light source emitting light;

a housing surrounding the light source;

a light-guiding plate guiding the light emitted from the light source to a LCD panel;

a reflective sheet formed under the light-guiding plate; and

a structure having sides in a shape of a curve, and formed inside the housing.

6. The backlight unit of claim 5, wherein the structure is formed inside the housing between the light source and the light-guiding plate.

7. The backlight unit of claim 5, wherein the structure is formed inside the housing opposite the light-guiding plate relative to the light source.

8. The backlight unit of claim 5, wherein the structure is formed in a convex-convex shape.

9. The backlight unit of claim 5, wherein the structure is formed in a concave-concave shape.

10. The backlight unit of claim 5, wherein the structure is formed of a transmitting material.

11. The backlight unit of claim 5, wherein the structure is formed of a reflective material.

12. The backlight unit of claim 5, wherein the light-guiding plate has an incident surface formed in a shape of a curve for receiving the light emitted from the light source.

13. The backlight unit of claim 12, wherein the incident surface of the light-guiding plate is formed in a convex shape.

14. The backlight unit of claim 12, wherein the incident surface of the light-guiding plate is formed in a concave shape.

15. The backlight unit of claim 5, further comprising optical sheets between the light-guiding plate and the LCD panel.

16. A method of fabricating a backlight unit, comprising:

providing a light source to emit light;

forming a housing to surround the light source;

forming a light guiding plate to guide the light emitted from the light source to a LCD panel, wherein the light guiding plate has an incident surface having a shape of a curve; and

forming a reflective sheet under the light-guiding plate.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the incident surface has a shape of one of a convex surface and a concave surface.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising forming optical sheets between the light-guiding plate and the LCD panel.

19. A method of fabricating a backlight unit, comprising:

providing a light source to emit light;

forming a housing to surround the light source;

forming a light-guiding plate to guide the light emitted from the light source to a LCD panel;

forming a reflective sheet under the light-guiding plate; and

forming a structure having sides in a shape of a curve and formed inside the housing.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein forming the structure includes providing the structure inside the housing between the light source and the light-guiding plate.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein forming the structure includes providing the structure inside the housing and opposite the light-guiding plate relative to the light source.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the structure is formed in a convex-convex shape.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the structure is formed in a concave-concave shape.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the structure is formed of one of a transmitting material and a reflective material.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein forming the light-guiding plate includes forming an incident surface in a shape of one of convex shape and a concave shape.