OPTICAL PLATE AND BACKLIGHT MODULE USING THE SAME

• US 20090016068A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: CHANG, SHAO-HAN
• Granted Patent: US 7,810,949 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/309
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0021 for housing at least a part of the light source, e.g. by forming holes or recesses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0036 2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0051 Diffusing sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0061 to provide homogeneous light output intensity

Abstract

An exemplary optical plate (20) includes a transparent plate unit. The transparent plate unit includes a light output surface (202), a bottom surface (203), a plurality of microstructures (206), a diffusion layer (205), and a lamp-receiving portion (204). The bottom surface is opposite to the light output surface. The microstructures are formed on the bottom surface. Each microstructure includes four side surfaces connected with each other. A transverse width of each side surface decreases along a direction away from the base surface of the microstructure. The diffusion layer is formed on the light output surface. The lamp-receiving portion is defined in the bottom surface. A backlight module (200) using the present optical plate is also provided.

Claims

1. An optical plate comprising:

at least one transparent plate unit having;

a light output surface,

a bottom surface opposite to the light output surface;

a plurality of microstructures formed on the bottom surface, wherein each microstructure comprises at least four side surfaces connected with each other, a transverse width of each side surface decreasing along a direction away from the base surface of the microstructure;

a diffusion layer formed on the light output surface; and

at least one lamp-receiving portion defined in the bottom surface.

2. The optical plate according to claim 1, wherein the microstructures are selected from a group consisting of triangular pyramidal protrusions, rectangular pyramidal protrusions, pentagonal pyramidal protrusions, polygonal pyramidal protrusions, and frustums of these.

3. The optical plate according to claim 2, wherein the microstructures are rectangular pyramidal protrusions, a dihedral angle defined by two opposite side surfaces of each of the microstructures is configured to be in a range from about 60 degrees to about 120 degrees.

4. The optical plate according to claim 2, wherein the microstructures are rectangular pyramidal protrusions, one or more of dihedral angles defined by two opposite side surfaces of each microstructure and base angles defined by two adjacent microstructures, are rounded.

5. The optical plate according to claim 2, wherein the microstructures are rectangular pyramidal protrusions, a pitch between adjacent microstructures in a same plane is configured to be in a range from about 0.025 millimeters to about 2 millimeters.

6. The optical plate according to claim 1, wherein the diffusion layer comprises transparent resin matrix material, and diffusion particles dispersed in the transparent resin matrix material.

7. The optical plate according to claim 6, wherein the transparent resin matrix material is acrylic resin.

8. The optical plate according to claim 6, wherein the diffusion particles are selected from a group consisting of glass beads, silicon dioxide particles, PMMA particles, and any combination thereof.

9. The optical plate according to claim 1, wherein the diffusion layer has a uniform thickness and covers the light output surface entirely.

10. The optical plate according to claim 1, wherein the diffusion layer comprises a plurality of circular strips arranged separately;

a center of each of the circular strips within a portion of the lamp-receiving portion; and

a radial thickness of each circular strip increases with increasing radius.

11. The optical plate according to claim 1, wherein the diffusion layer comprises a plurality of round dots;

the round dots are arranged radially from the lamp-receiving portion; and

a distribution density of round dots increases along a direction away from the lamp-receiving portion.

12. The optical plate according to claim 1, wherein the diffusion layer comprises a plurality of round dots;

the round dots are arranged radially from the lamp-receiving portion; and

a diameter of each of the round dots increases along a direction away from the lamp-receiving portion.

13. The optical plate according to claim 1, wherein the diffusion layer includes a plurality of round dots;

the round dots are identical to each other;

the round dots are arranged separately along a plurality of imaginary circles that have a same center axis;

the center axis of each of the imaginary circles aligns at a portion of the lamp-receiving portion; and

distribution density of the round dots of each imaginary circle increase along a direction away from the lamp-receiving portion.

14. The optical plate according to claim 1, wherein the lamp-receiving portion is selected from one of blind hole and through hole communicating between the light output surface and the bottom surface.

15. The optical plate according to claim 1, wherein the optical plate comprises a plurality of optical plate units, the optical plate units arranged side by side.

16. A backlight module comprising:

a housing having a base and a plurality of sidewalls extending from a periphery of the base, the base and the sidewalls cooperatively forming an opening;

at least one point light source disposed on the base, each point light source having a light-emitting portion;

at least one reflective member is positioned above the top of the light-emitting portion; and

an optical plate positioned in the housing, the optical plate including at least one transparent plate unit having;

a light output surface,

a bottom surface opposite to the light output surface;

a plurality of microstructures formed on the bottom surface, wherein each microstructure comprises at least four side surfaces connected with each other, a transverse width of each side surface decreasing along a direction away from the base surface of the microstructure;

a diffusion layer formed on the light output surface; and

at least one lamp-receiving portion defined in the bottom surface;

wherein the light-emitting portion of the at least one point light source is inserted in the lamp-receiving portion correspondingly, the diffusion layer facing the opening of the housing.

17. The backlight module according to claim 16, further comprising a light reflective plate defining a through hole therein, the light reflective plate being disposed underneath the bottom surface of the optical plate, and the point light source passing through the light reflective plate via the through hole.

18. The backlight module according to claim 17, wherein the light reflective plate further comprises a plurality of reflective sidewalls extending around a periphery thereof and the reflective sidewalls are in contact with the corresponding sidewalls of the housing.

19. The backlight module according to claim 16, wherein the housing is made of metal materials, and has high reflectivity inner surfaces.

20. The backlight module according to claim 16, further comprising a high reflectivity film deposited on inner surfaces of the base and the sidewalls of the housing.