Luminescent light source and luminescent light source array

• US 20060158899A1
• Filed: 01/17/2006
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Matsui, Akira, Ayabe, Takahiro, Kiyomoto, Hironobu
• Granted Patent: US 7,470,042 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/602
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/68 Details of reflectors forming part of the light source
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0091 using total internal reflection
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/04 Optical design
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/09 with a combination of different curvatures
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/086 wherein the system is made of a single block of optical material, e.g. solid catadioptric systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0028 refractive and reflective surfaces, e.g. non-imaging catadioptric systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0061 the light source comprising a LED semiconductor devices with at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier specially adapted for light emission H01L33/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0066 in the form of an LED array
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/09 Multifaceted or polygonal mirrors , e.g. polygonal scanning mirrors; Fresnel mirrors

Abstract

To provide a luminescent light source that can increase the number of divisions of a reflecting mirror without reducing pitch interval of reflection areas. A luminescent light source comprises a reflecting mirror for reflecting light, a mold unit arranged on a light reflection surface of the reflecting mirror, and light emitting devices of three luminescent devices of red, blue and green that are placed in the central part and output light to the mold unit. In the reflecting mirror, rectangular reflection areas are arranged vertically and horizontally in a grid.

Claims

1. A luminescent light source, comprising:

a reflecting mirror for reflecting light,

a light guide unit arranged on a light reflection surface of the reflecting mirror, and

a light emitting device arranged in the central area of the reflecting mirror and outputting light to the light guide unit,

wherein the light guide unit has a light output surface for outputting to the outside light outputted from the light emitting device and light of the light emitting device reflected by the reflecting mirror, the reflecting mirror has a light reflection surface for reflecting light outputted from the light emitting device and reflected by the light output surface of the light guide unit, the light reflection surface comprises a plurality of reflection areas arranged along at least two directions.

3. The luminescent light source according to claim 1, wherein the reflection areas are square, rectangular, hexagonal, triangular, or fan-shaped.

4. The luminescent light source according to claim 1, wherein a part of the reflection areas being adjacent in each direction in which the reflection areas are arranged have mutually different amount of characteristic that characterizes each reflection area.

5. The luminescent light source according to claim 1, wherein the reflection areas being adjacent in an intermediate direction of respective directions in which the reflection areas are arranged have mutually different amount of characteristic that characterizes each reflection area.

6. The luminescent light source according to claim 4, wherein the amount of characteristic is amount of displacement of the each reflection area in the optical axis direction of the reflecting mirror.

7. The luminescent light source according to claim 4, wherein the each reflection area is a conic surface, and the amount of characteristic is a curvature radius that characterizes the conic surface.

8. The luminescent light source according to claim 4, wherein the each reflection area is a conic surface and the amount of characteristic is a conic coefficient that characterizes the conic surface.

9. The luminescent light source according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of the light emitting devices having different luminescent colors.

10. The luminescent light source according to claim 9, wherein adjacent reflection areas reflect light of each light emitting device so that light outputted from mutually different light emitting devices are outputted to the front face direction substantially vertically.

11. The luminescent light source according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the light guide unit is divided into a plurality of areas, and for every divided area, a tilt angle or inclination direction of the surface thereof is changed.

1-1. A method of outputting light of a luminescent light source, comprising the steps of:

preparing the luminescent light source comprising a reflecting mirror for reflecting light, a light guide unit arranged on a light reflection surface of the reflecting mirror, and a light emitting device for outputting light to the light guide unit,

arranging the light emitting device in the central area of the reflecting mirror;

configuring a light output surface for outputting to the light guide unit light outputted from the light emitting device, and to the outside light of the light emitting device reflected by the reflecting mirror;

configuring a light reflection surface for reflecting to the reflecting mirror light outputted from the light emitting device and reflected by the light output surface of the light guide unit,

forming on the light reflection surface a plurality of reflection areas arranged along at least two directions, and individually setting a reflection direction of reflected light for every reflection area, and

outputting light by adjusting an outputting direction and an optical intensity distribution of light outputted from the light output surface of the light guide unit.

2. A luminescent light source, comprising:

a reflecting mirror for reflecting light,

a light guide unit arranged on a light reflection surface of the reflecting mirror, and

a light emitting device arranged in the central area of the reflecting mirror and outputting light to the light guide unit,

wherein the light guide unit has a light output surface for outputting to the outside light outputted from the light emitting device and light of the light emitting device reflected by the reflecting mirror, the reflecting mirror has a light reflection surface for reflecting light outputted from the light emitting device and reflected by the light output surface of the light guide unit, the light reflection surface is a mosaic arrangement of a plurality of reflection areas.

12. A luminescent light source array, comprising:

a plurality of arranged luminescent light sources,

wherein the luminescent light sources comprise;

a reflecting mirror for reflecting light,

a light guide unit arranged on a light reflection surface of the reflecting mirror, and

a light emitting device arranged in the central area of the reflecting mirror and outputting light to the light guide unit,

wherein the light guide unit has a light output surface for outputting to the outside light outputted from the light emitting device and light of the light emitting device reflected by the reflecting mirror, the reflecting mirror has a light reflection surface for reflecting light outputted from the light emitting device and reflected by the light output surface of the light guide unit, the light reflection surface is comprised of a plurality of reflection areas arranged along at least two directions.

13. A method of setting a light path of a luminescent light source, comprising the steps of:

preparing the luminescent light source comprising a reflecting mirror for reflecting light, a light guide unit arranged on a light reflection area of the reflecting mirror, and a light emitting device for outputting light to the light guide unit;

arranging the light emitting device in the central area of the reflecting mirror;

configuring a light output surface for outputting to the light guide unit light outputted from the light emitting device, and to the outside light of the light emitting device reflected by the reflecting mirror;

configuring a light reflection surface for reflecting to the reflecting mirror light outputted from the light emitting device and reflected by the light output surface of the light guide unit, and

forming on the light reflection surface a plurality of reflection areas arranged along at least two directions, and individually setting a reflection direction of reflected light for every reflection area.

15. A lighting system, comprising:

a luminescent light source array in which a plurality of luminescent light sources are arranged, and

a power supply unit for supplying power to the luminescent light source array, wherein

the luminescent light source, comprising;

a reflecting mirror for reflecting light,

a light guide unit arranged on a light reflection surface of the reflecting mirror, and

a light emitting device arranged in the central area of the reflecting mirror and outputting light to the light guide unit,

wherein the light guide unit has a light output surface for outputting to the outside light outputted from the light emitting device and light of the light emitting device reflected by the reflecting mirror, the reflecting mirror has a light reflection surface for reflecting light outputted from the light emitting device and reflected by the light output surface of the light guide unit, the light reflection surface is comprised of a plurality of reflection areas arranged along at least two directions.

16. A backlight, comprising:

a plurality of luminescent light sources arranged in a same plane;

the luminescent light sources, comprising;

a reflecting mirror for reflecting light,

a light guide unit arranged on a light reflection surface of the reflecting mirror, and

a light emitting device arranged in the central area of the reflecting mirror and outputting light to the light guide unit,

wherein the light guide unit has a light output surface for outputting to the outside light outputted from the light emitting device and light of the light emitting device reflected by the reflecting mirror, the reflecting mirror has a light reflection surface for reflecting light outputted from the light emitting device and reflected by the light output surface of the light guide unit, the light reflection surface is comprised of a plurality of reflection areas arranged along at least two directions.

17. A liquid crystal display device, comprising:

a luminescent light source array in which a plurality of luminescent light sources are arranged, and

a liquid crystal display panel arranged opposed to the luminescent light source array;

the luminescent light source, comprising;

a reflecting mirror for reflecting light,

a light guide unit arranged on a light reflection surface of the reflecting mirror, and

a light emitting device arranged in the central area of the reflecting mirror and outputting light to the light guide unit,

wherein the light guide unit has a light output surface for outputting to the outside light outputted from the light emitting device and light of the light emitting device reflected by the reflecting mirror, the reflecting mirror has a light reflection surface for reflecting light outputted from the light emitting device and reflected by the light output surface of the light guide unit, the light reflection surface is comprised of a plurality of reflection areas arranged along at least two directions.

18. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 17, wherein there is no optical element for directing a traveling direction of light outputted from the luminescent light source array to the front face direction of the liquid crystal display panel, between the luminescent light source array and the liquid crystal display panel.

19. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 17, wherein there is no optical element for improving luminance of light for illuminating the liquid crystal display panel, between the luminescent light source array and the liquid crystal display panel.