Light guide unit
First Claim
1. A light guide unit comprising:
- a) a surface lighting light guide, b) a channel light guide and c) a distribution light guide;
a) the surface lighting light guide having a light emitting major surface and at least one light receiving side surface;
b) the channel light guide having a plurality of optical cores separated one another to form a linear or nonlinear fiber optic channel array, the channel array having a plurality of light entrance core surfaces and a plurality of light exit core surfaces to face the at least one light receiving side surface;
c) the distribution light guide having a linear or nonlinear light guide having at least one light receiving portion and at least one distribution light guide surface disposed to face the light entrance core surfaces; and
wherein each width of the optical cores increases in accordance with a distance from the at least one light receiving portion and/or each pitch between the optical cores decreases in accordance with a distance from the at least one light receiving portion.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The disclosed is a light guide unit and a surface illuminator illuminating a liquid crystal display (LCD). The light guide unit (100) is composed of a surface lighting light guide (30) having a light emitting major surface (30a) and a light receiving side surface (30c); a channel light guide (20) having optical cores (21) to form a fiber optic channel array having light entrance core surfaces (21a) and light exit core surfaces (21b); and a distribution light guide (10) having a light distribution guide surface (10d) and a light receiving portion (10b) receiving light from the LED (200). The light guides (10, 20 and 30) are positioned respectively in that order to form a light guide unit (100). Each width (w1) and/or a pitch (p) of the optical cores (21) may change in accordance with a distance from the light receiving portion (10b). The channel light guide (20)/the distribution light guide (10) may have a linear shape or a nonlinear shape with “L”, “U” or “O” shape. The distribution light guide (10) may have a “V” shaped or rectangular reflector (40) with opposed surfaces (40a, 40b) to reflect light (L) from the LED (200) to face the reflector (40).
-
Citations
21 Claims
-
1. A light guide unit comprising:
- a) a surface lighting light guide, b) a channel light guide and c) a distribution light guide;
a) the surface lighting light guide having a light emitting major surface and at least one light receiving side surface;
b) the channel light guide having a plurality of optical cores separated one another to form a linear or nonlinear fiber optic channel array, the channel array having a plurality of light entrance core surfaces and a plurality of light exit core surfaces to face the at least one light receiving side surface;
c) the distribution light guide having a linear or nonlinear light guide having at least one light receiving portion and at least one distribution light guide surface disposed to face the light entrance core surfaces; and
wherein each width of the optical cores increases in accordance with a distance from the at least one light receiving portion and/or each pitch between the optical cores decreases in accordance with a distance from the at least one light receiving portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
- a) a surface lighting light guide, b) a channel light guide and c) a distribution light guide;
-
7. A light guide unit comprising:
- a) a surface lighting light guide, b) a channel light guide and c) a distribution light guide;
a) the surface lighting light guide having a light emitting first major surface and at least one light receiving side surface;
b) the channel light guide having a plurality of optical cores separated one another to form a linear or nonlinear fiber optic channel array, the channel array having a plurality of light entrance core surfaces and a plurality of light exit core surfaces disposed to face the light receiving side surface;
c) the distribution light guide having a linear or nonlinear light guide having at least one light receiving portion and at least one distribution light guide surface disposed to face the light entrance core surfaces; and
wherein each of the channel light guide and/or the distribution light guide has the shape selected from the group consisting of substantially “
L”
like shape, substantially “
U”
like shape and substantially “
O”
like shape. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
- a) a surface lighting light guide, b) a channel light guide and c) a distribution light guide;
-
16. A light guide unit comprising:
- a) a surface lighting light guide, b) a channel light guide and c) a distribution light guide;
a) the surface lighting light guide having a light emitting major surface and at least one light receiving side surface;
b) the channel light guide having a plurality of optical cores separated one another to form a linear or nonlinear fiber optic channel array, the channel array having a plurality of light entrance core surfaces and a plurality of light exit core surfaces disposed to face the at least one light receiving side surface;
c) the distribution light guide having a linear or nonlinear light guide having at least one light receiving portion and at least one distribution light guide surface to face the light entrance core surfaces and at least one tapered light guide surface opposed to the at least one distribution light guide surface; and
wherein a distance between the at least one distribution light guide surface and the at least one tapered light guide surface decreases in accordance with a distance from the at least one light receiving portion. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
- a) a surface lighting light guide, b) a channel light guide and c) a distribution light guide;
Specification