Differentially-cured materials and process for forming same

• US 20070253072A1
• Filed: 06/11/2007
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Patrick Mullen, Robert Nilsen, William Rowland
• Original Assignee: Patrick Mullen, Robert Nilsen, William Rowland
• Inventors: Mullen, Patrick, Nilsen, Robert, Rowland, William
• Application Number:
  US11/811,585
• Publication Number:
  US 20070253072A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/641
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0827 using UV radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/0894 provided with masks or diaphragms
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/10 for articles of indefinite length
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00 Producing optical elements, e.g. lenses or prisms grinding or polishing of optical elements B24B; constructional form of optical elements G02B; optical parts of spectacles G02C7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00605 Production of reflex reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/243 Partially cured
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/003 Reflective
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2011/0083 Reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/30 Collimators
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/045 Prism arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/12 Reflex reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/124 plural reflecting elements forming part of a unitary plate or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0038 Linear indentations or grooves, e.g. arc-shaped grooves or meandering grooves, extending over the full length or width of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0053 Prismatic sheet or layer; Brightness enhancement element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/001 Phase modulating patterns, e.g. refractive index patterns

Abstract

A light-redirecting optical structure includes a first side and a second side, the first side including plurality of linear prisms having a visibly random shaped surface on the prisms and a plurality of cross-cut prisms on first side which are oriented at an angle such that it is greater than zero degrees but less than 180 degrees. A backlight wedge includes a stepped structure on a bottom side that decreases in size traversing the wedge away from a light source which is positioned at an end and having a visibly random shaped surface on said wedge.

Claims

1. A light-collimating optical structure comprising a first side and a second side, the first side including an array of light-collimating prisms formed of a radiation-cured composition, wherein the array of light-collimating prisms includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion has a first index of refraction and the second portion has a second index of refraction, the first portion and the second portion are both formed of the radiation-cured composition, and the first index of refraction is different from the second index of refraction.

2. The light-collimating optical structure of claim 1 wherein the array of light-collimating prisms includes a light-collimating prism, the light-collimating prism includes the first portion and the second portion, the first portion has the first index of refraction and the second portion has the second index of refraction, the first portion and the second portion are the same radiation-cured composition, and the first index of refraction is different from the second index of refraction.

3. The light-collimating optical structure of claim 1 wherein the first index of refraction is sufficiently different from the second index of refraction so as to result in a discontinuity in the light-collimating optical structure.

4. The light-collimating optical structure of claim 3 wherein the discontinuity is a visible discontinuity.

5. The light-collimating optical structure of claim 1 wherein the first index of refraction is sufficiently different from the second index of refraction so as to visibly alter a path of light transmitted through the light-collimating optical structure as compared to a light-collimating optical structure wherein the first index of refraction is the same as the second index of refraction.

6. The light-collimating optical structure of claim 1 wherein the light-collimating prisms include a differentially-cured pattern on the prisms.

7. The light-collimating optical structure of claim 1 wherein the light-collimating prisms include visibly random shaped surfaces.

8. The light-collimating optical structure of claim 1 wherein the light-collimating prisms are generally linear, light-collimating prisms.

9. The light-collimating optical structure of claim 1 wherein a plurality of the light-collimating prisms include substantially linear peaks.

10. The light-collimating optical structure of claim 1 wherein a plurality of the light-collimating prisms include curved peaks.

11. The light-collimating optical structure of claim 1 wherein the light-collimating prisms include apexes having an included angle of about ninety degrees.

12. The light-collimating optical structure of claim 1 wherein the first side includes a plurality of cross-cut prisms which are oriented at an angle greater than zero degrees but less than 180 degrees with respect to the light-collimating prisms.

13. The light-collimating optical structure of claim 12 wherein the light-collimating prisms have a height greater than the height of the cross-cut prisms.

14. The light-collimating optical structure of claim 12 wherein the light-collimating prisms have a height less than the height of the cross-cut prisms.

15. The light-collimating optical structure of claim 12 wherein the cross-cut prisms include apexes having an included angle of about ninety degrees.

16. The light-collimating optical structure of claim 12 wherein the cross-cut prisms include apexes having an included angle of less than about ninety degrees.

17. The light-collimating optical structure of claim 12 wherein the cross-cut prisms include apexes having an included angle of greater than about ninety degrees.

18. The light-collimating optical structure of claim 1 wherein the light-collimating prisms include bumps, pips, or differential heights.

19. The light-collimating optical structure of claim 1 wherein the array of light-collimating prisms includes a pattern of elevated prism peak portions.

20. The light-collimating optical structure of claim 1 wherein the array of light-collimating prisms includes a pattern of depressed prism peak portions.

21. The structure of claim 1 wherein the light-collimating prisms include a sufficient portion of prism apexes that have sufficient curvature to reduce Lloyd'"'"'s mirror fringe effects as compared to light-collimating prisms without curvature.

22. A light-collimating optical structure comprising a first side and a second side, the first side including an array of light-collimating prisms formed of a radiation-cured composition, wherein the array of light-collimating prisms includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion has a first density and the second portion has a second density, the first portion and the second portion are both formed of the radiation-cured composition, and the first density is different from the second density.

23. The light-collimating optical structure of claim 22 wherein the first density is sufficiently different from the second density so as to result in a discontinuity in the light-collimating optical structure.

24. The light-collimating optical structure of claim 22 wherein the light-collimating prisms include a differentially-cured pattern on the prisms.

25. The light-collimating optical structure of claim 22 wherein the light-collimating prisms include visibly random shaped surfaces.