Optical film having a structured surface with rectangular based prisms

• US 20060103777A1
• Filed: 11/15/2004
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Gardiner, Mark E., Whitney, Leland R., Ko, Byungsoo, Chae, Dongwon
• Application Number:
  US10/989,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20060103777A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/65
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/045 Prism arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0053 Prismatic sheet or layer; Brightness enhancement element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0056 for producing polarisation effects, e.g. by a surface with polarizing properties or by an additional polarizing elements

Abstract

Described is an optical film having a structured surface including a plurality of prismatic structures. Each prismatic structure has a base including at least two longer sides disposed opposite to each other along a first general direction and at least two shorter sides disposed opposite to each other along a second general direction. The body transmits light incident thereon along the first general direction when an angle of incidence is within a first predetermined angle range with respect to the axis and reflects light when the angle of incidence is outside the first predetermined angle range. The body transmits light incident thereon along the second general direction when an angle of incidence is within a second predetermined angle range with respect to the axis and reflects light when the angle of incidence is outside the second predetermined angle range. The optical film further includes a substrate portion having an additional optical characteristic different from an optical characteristic of the structured surface. Display devices including such optical films are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An optical film, comprising:

a body having an axis and a structured surface including a plurality of prismatic structures, each prismatic structure having a base including at least two longer sides disposed opposite to each other along a first general direction and at least two shorter sides disposed opposite to each other along a second general direction,

wherein the body transmits a substantial portion of light incident thereon along the first general direction when an angle of incidence is within a first predetermined angle range with respect to the axis and reflects a substantial portion of light when the angle of incidence is outside the first predetermined angle range, and

wherein the body transmits a substantial portion of light incident thereon along the second general direction when an angle of incidence is within a second predetermined angle range with respect to the axis and reflects a substantial portion of light when the angle of incidence is outside the second predetermined angle range; and

the body comprises a substrate portion having an additional optical characteristic different from an optical characteristic of the structured surface.

2. The optical film according to claim 1, wherein the base has a substantially rectangular shape.

3. The optical film according to claim 1, wherein each prismatic structure is arranged in a substantial contact with at least one other prismatic structure.

4. The optical film according to claim 1, wherein the bases of the plurality of prismatic structures are aligned with the two longer sides of each of the bases extending along the first general direction substantially parallel to one another.

5. The optical film according to claim 1, wherein the substrate portion comprises at least one of:

a polarizer film, a diffuser film, a brightness enhancing film, and a turning film.

6. The optical film according to claim 1, wherein the structured surface is disposed on a body portion that is different from the substrate portion, said substrate portion and the body portion are attached to each other.

7. The optical film according to claim 6, wherein the body portion and the substrate portion each have a refractive index, the refractive index of the body portion being lower than the refractive index of the substrate portion.

8. The optical film according to claim 1, wherein the structured surface is disposed on the substrate portion.

9. The optical film according to claim 1, wherein each of the prismatic structures includes at least four surfaces, each of the four surfaces being attached to the base.

10. The optical film according to claim 9, wherein at least four surfaces meet.

11. The optical film according to claim 9, wherein two of the at least four surfaces meet.

12. The optical film according to claim 1, wherein each of the prismatic structures comprises five surfaces, four surfaces being attached to the base, a fifth surface being adjacent to the four surfaces and situated substantially parallel to the base.

13. The backlight display device according to claim 1, wherein the first predetermined angle range is greater than the second predetermined angle range.

14. A display device comprising:

a case having a window;

a backlight situated in the case,

an optical film situated between the backlight and the window, and

a light valve arrangement situated between the optical film and the optical window;

wherein the optical film includes a body having an axis and a structured surface including a plurality of prismatic structures, each prismatic structure having a base including two longer sides disposed opposite to each other along a first general direction and two shorter sides disposed opposite to each other along a second general direction,

wherein the body transmits a substantial portion of light incident thereon along the first general direction when an angle of incidence is within a first predetermined angle range with respect to the axis and reflects a substantial portion of light when the angle of incidence is outside the first predetermined angle range,

wherein the body transmits a substantial portion of light incident thereon along the second general direction when an angle of incidence is within a second predetermined angle with respect to the axis and reflects a substantial portion of light when the angle of incidence is outside the second predetermined angle range, and

wherein the body further comprises a substrate portion having an additional optical characteristic different from an optical characteristic of the structured surface.

15. The backlight display device according to claim 14, wherein the backlight panel is side lit.

16. The backlight display device according to claim 14, wherein the backlight panel is direct lit.

17. The backlight display device according to claim 14, wherein the light valve arrangement is a liquid crystal display panel.

18. The backlight display device according to claim 14, wherein the base of the prismatic structure has a substantially rectangular shape.

19. The backlight display device according to claim 14, wherein each prismatic structure is arranged in a substantial contact with each other.

20. The backlight display device according to claim 14, wherein the rectangular bases of the plurality of prismatic structures are aligned with the two longer sides of each of the bases extending along the first general direction substantially parallel to one another.

21. The backlight display device according to claim 14, wherein the substrate portion comprises at least one of a polarizer film, a diffuser film, a brightness enhancing film, and a turning film.

22. The optical film according to claim 14, wherein the structured surface is disposed on a body portion that is different from the substrate portion, said substrate portion and the body portion are attached to each other.

23. The optical film according to claim 22, wherein the body portion and the substrate portion each have a refractive index, the refractive index of the body portion being lower than the refractive index of the substrate portion.

24. The backlight display device according to claim 14, wherein the structured surface is dispposed on the substrate portion.

25. The backlight display device according to claim 14, wherein the first predetermined angle range is greater than the second predetermined angle range.

26. An optical film comprising:

a substrate portion; and

a structured surface including a plurality of prismatic structures, each prismatic structure having a substantially rectangular base, first surfaces meeting the rectangular base along a width thereof and second surfaces meeting the rectangular base along a length thereof,

wherein at least one of the surfaces reflects light incident thereon when an angle of incidence is between a first predetermined angle and a first axis parallel to the surface and redirects and transmits light there through when the angle of incidence is between the first predetermined angle and a second axis normal to the surface,

wherein the length of each of the rectangular bases is greater than the width thereof to achieve a selected first orientation relative to the substrate portion of the first surfaces and a selected second orientation relative to the substrate portion of the second surfaces, and

wherein the substrate portion has an additional optical characteristic different from an optical characteristic of the structured surface.

27. The optical film according to claim 26, wherein the first and second orientations are selected to achieve a first light reflection/redirection characteristic along a first dimension of the substrate portion and a second light reflection/redirection characteristic along a second dimension of the substrate portion.

28. The optical film according to claim 27, wherein the first light reflection/redirection characteristic is selected to generate more reflection along a first direction and more redirection along a second direction, the first direction being along the width of the base and the second direction being along the length of the base.

29. The optical film according to claim 26, wherein the rectangular bases of the plurality of prismatic structures are aligned with the lengths of each of the rectangular bases extending along the substrate portion substantially parallel to one another.

30. The optical film according to claim 26, wherein the lengths of the rectangular bases are substantially equal to one another, and wherein the widths of the rectangular bases are substantially equal to one another.

31. The optical film according to claim 26, wherein the substrate portion comprises at least one of a polarizer film, a diffuser film, a brightness enhancing film, and a turning film.