Light pipe having a structure of enhancing an emission of a light

• US 20080037943A1
• Filed: 12/27/2006
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jong Jin, Lee, Sang Hoon, Cho, Han Kyu
• Application Number:
  US11/645,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20080037943A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/123
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0994 Fibers, light pipes optical fibers per se G02B6/02
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/045 Prism arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/136 plural reflecting elements forming part of a unitary body G02B5/124 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a light pipe having a structure of enhancing an emission of a light. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a hollow light pipe comprises a base pipe comprising a structured inner surface and a substantially smooth outer surface; and a plurality of diffusive particles disposed on the outer surface.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a hollow light pipe comprises a base pipe comprising a structured inner surface and a substantially smooth outer surface; and a film having a plurality of scattering patterns on at least one surface of the film, and being disposed at inside or outside the base pipe.

According to further another embodiment of the present invention, a hollow light pipe comprises a base pipe comprising a structured inner surface and a substantially smooth outer surface; and a cone-shaped extractor being disposed inside the base pipe.

Claims

1. A hollow light pipe comprising:

a base pipe comprising a structured inner surface and a substantially smooth outer surface; and

a plurality of diffusive particles disposed on the outer surface.

2. The hollow light pipe of claim 1, wherein the structured inner surface includes a plurality of linear structures.

3. The hollow light pipe of claim 2, wherein the linear structures are a linear array of prisms elongated substantially same direction as the longitudinal direction to the hollow light pipe.

4. The hollow light pipe of claim 1, further comprising at least one discharge part disposed on the inner surface of the light pipe for discharging a light transmitted in the hollow light pipe.

5. The hollow light pipe of claim 1, wherein the diffusive particles are disposed more densely from one end toward the other end of the light pipe.

6. A hollow light pipe comprising:

a base pipe comprising a structured inner surface and a substantially smooth outer surface; and

a film having a plurality of scattering patterns on at least one surface of the film, and being disposed at inside or outside the base pipe.

7. The hollow light pipe of claim 6, wherein the structured inner surface includes a plurality of linear structures.

8. The hollow light pipe of claim 7, wherein the linear structures are a linear array of prisms elongated substantially same direction as the longitudinal direction to the light pipe.

9. The hollow light pipe of claim 6, further comprising at least one discharge part disposed on the inner surface of the light pipe for discharging a light transmitted in the light pipe.

10. The hollow light pipe of claim 6, wherein the sizes of the scattering patterns become larger from one end toward the other end of the light pipe.

11. The hollow light pipe of claim 6, wherein the scattering patterns are formed more densely from one end toward the other end of the light pipe.

12. The hollow light pipe of claim 6, further comprising a fixing plate fixing the film stably to the light pipe,

wherein the fixing plate is a reflective mirror which fixes the film to the light pipe and reflects the light reaching the other end of the light pipe.

13. The hollow light pipe of claim 6, wherein the base pipe is made of a polymer which includes at least one of polycarbonate (PC), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), acryl, polypropylene, polystyrene, and polyvinyl chloride.

14. The hollow light pipe of claim 6, wherein a surface on which scattering patterns are formed is disposed toward the inside direction of the light pipe when the scattering patterns are formed on the surface of the film.

15. The hollow light pipe of claim 6, wherein an opposite surface to a surface on which scattering patterns are formed is disposed toward the inside direction of the light pipe when the scattering patterns are formed on the surface of the film.

16. A hollow light pipe comprising:

a base pipe comprising a structured inner surface and a substantially smooth outer surface; and

a cone-shaped extractor being disposed inside the base pipe.

17. The hollow light pipe of claim 16, further comprising a supporting body being connected to an edge part of the cone-shaped extractor, and supporting the cone-shaped extractor.

18. The hollow light pipe of claim 16, wherein the structured inner surface includes a linear array of prisms elongated substantially same direction as the longitudinal direction to the hollow light pipe.

19. The hollow light pipe of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of diffusive particles disposed on the outer surface.

20. The hollow light pipe of claim 16, further comprising at least one discharge part disposed on the inner surface of the light pipe for discharging a light transmitted in the light pipe.

21. The hollow light pipe of claim 16, further comprising a film having a plurality of scattering patterns on at least one surface of the film, and being disposed at inside or outside the base pipe.