LIGHT GUIDE UNIT AND LIGHT SOURCE MODULE

• US 20110292680A1
• Filed: 05/22/2011
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Coretronic Corporation
• Original Assignee: Coretronic Corporation
• Inventors: Tsai, Han-Wen
• Application Number:
  US13/113,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20110292680A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/607
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0018 Redirecting means on the surface of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/002 by shaping at least a portion of the light guide, e.g. with collimating, focussing or diverging surfaces
• 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 6/0028 Light guide, e.g. taper
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0043 provided on the surface of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0045 by shaping at least a portion of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0055 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0061 to provide homogeneous light output intensity
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0078 Side-by-side arrangements, e.g. for large area displays

Abstract

A light guide unit having a planar portion, a first curved portion, and a second curved portion are disclosed. The first curved portion has a first optical surface, a second optical surface, and a light incident surface connecting the first and the second optical surfaces. The planar portion has a first and a second surfaces, respectively, connected to the first and the second optical surfaces. Absolute values of slopes of the first and second optical surfaces with respect to the first and second surfaces gradually increase near to the light incident surface, respectively. The planar portion connects the first and the second curved portions having a third surface and a third optical surface, and the second surface connects the second and the third optical surfaces. An absolute value of a slope of the third optical surface with respect to the second surface gradually increases away from the first surface.

Claims

1. A light guide unit comprising:

a first curved portion having a first optical surface, a second optical surface, and a light incident surface connecting the first optical surface and the second optical surface;

a planar portion having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, wherein the first optical surface is connected to the first surface, an absolute value of a slope of the first optical surface with respect to the first surface gradually increases near to the light incident surface, the second surface is connected to the second optical surface, and an absolute value of a slope of the second optical surface with respect to the second surface gradually increases near to the light incident surface; and

a second curved portion having a third surface and a third optical surface, wherein the planar portion connects the first curved portion and the second curved portion, the first surface connects the first optical surface and the third surface, the second surface connects the second optical surface and the third optical surface, and an absolute value of a slope of the third optical surface with respect to the second surface gradually increases away from the first surface.

2. The light guide unit according to claim 1, wherein the light guide unit is capable of guiding a light beam provided by a light source, the light beam is capable of entering the light guide unit via the light incident surface, when the light beam passing the light incident surface is transmitted to the first optical surface and the second optical surface, respectively, the first optical surface and the second optical surface are adapted to partially reflect the light beam such that a portion of the light beam is transmitted to the planar portion, the planar portion is adapted to transmit a portion of the light beam to the second curved portion, a portion of the light beam not reflected by the first optical surface is capable of emerging out of the light guide unit through the first optical surface, and the portion of the light beam from the first curved portion is capable of emerging out of the light guide unit through the first surface, and the portion of the light beam from the planar portion is capable of being reflected by the third optical surface to the third surface to emerge out of the light guide unit through the third surface.

3. The light guide plate according to claim 1, wherein each of the first optical surface, the second optical surface, and the third optical surface comprises a smooth curved surface or a surface formed by a plurality of planes connected to one another, and each of the absolute values of slopes of the planes with respect to the first surface gradually increases away from the first surface.

4. The light guide plate according to claim 1, further comprising a recessed portion disposed on the light incident surface of the first curved portion, wherein the recessed portion is recessed into the light guide unit in a direction toward the first surface.

5. The light guide plate according to claim 1, further comprising a reflection unit disposed on at least one of the second optical surface, the second surface, and the third optical surface.

6. The light guide plate according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of scattering microstructures disposed on the second surface.

7. The light guide plate according to claim 6, wherein a density of the scattering microstructures gradually increases in a direction from the second optical surface toward the third optical surface.

8. The light guide plate according to claim 1, wherein the light incident surface is substantially parallel to the first surface.

9. The light guide plate according to claim 1, wherein the third surface is substantially perpendicular to the first surface.

10. The light guide plate according to claim 1, wherein the second curved portion further comprises a support surface connecting the third surface and the third optical surface.

11. A light source module comprising:

a plurality of light guide units arranged in an array, wherein the any two adjacent light guide units do not overlap with each other, and each of the light guide units comprises;

a first curved portion having a first optical surface, a second optical surface, and a light incident surface connecting the first optical surface and the second optical surface;

a planar portion having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, wherein the first optical surface is connected to the first surface, an absolute value of a slope of the first optical surface with respect to the first surface gradually increases near to the light incident surface, the second surface is connected to the second optical surface, and an absolute value of a slope of the second optical surface with respect to the second surface gradually increases near to the light incident surface;

a second curved portion having a third surface and a third optical surface, wherein the planar portion connects the first curved portion and the second curved portion, the first surface connects the first optical surface and the third surface, the second surface connects the second optical surface and the third optical surface, and an absolute value of a slope of the third optical surface with respect to the second surface gradually increases away from the first surface; and

a plurality of light sources, wherein each of the light sources is disposed adjacent to the light incident surface of a corresponding one of the light guide units, and a light beam provided by each of the light sources is capable of entering each of the light guide unit through the light incident surface thereof.

12. The light source module according to claim 11, wherein when the light beam passing the light incident surface is transmitted to the first optical surface and the second optical surface, respectively, the first optical surface and the second optical surface are adapted to partially reflect the light beam such that a portion of the light beam is transmitted to the planar portion, the planar portion is adapted to transmit a portion of the light beam to the second curved portion, a portion of the light beam not reflected by the first optical surface is capable of emerging out of the light guide unit through the first optical surface, the portion of the light beam from the first curved portion is capable of emerging out of the light guide unit through the first surface, and the portion of the light beam from the planar portion is capable of being reflected by the third optical surface to the third surface to emerge out of the light guide unit through the third surface.

13. The light source module according to claim 11, wherein each of the first optical surface, the second optical surface, and the third optical surface comprises a smooth curved surface or a surface formed by a plurality of planes connected to one another, and each of the absolute values of slopes of the planes with respect to the first surface gradually increases away from the first surface.

14. The light source module according to claim 11, wherein a distance is maintained between the any two adjacent light guide units arranged along a direction.

15. The light source module according to claim 14, wherein the distance is substantially equal to or less than 3% of a length of each of the light guide units along the direction.

16. The light source module according to claim 11, wherein, in the light guide units arranged in a direction, the first optical surface of one of the light guide units arranged in the direction faces the third surface of the adjacent one of the light guide units arranged in the direction, and the first optical surface of one of the light guide units arranged in the direction maintains a distance from the adjacent one of the light guide units arranged in the direction.

17. The light source module according to claim 11, further comprising a substrate, wherein the light guide units and the light sources are disposed on the substrate.

18. The light source module according to claim 17, wherein the substrate is provided with a plurality of grooves, and the light sources are disposed in the grooves, respectively.

19. The light source module according to claim 11, further comprising a plurality of reflection units disposed on the substrate, wherein each of the reflection units is disposed between a corresponding one of the light guide units and the substrate.

20. The light source module according to claim 11, wherein each of the light guide units further comprises a recessed portion disposed on the light incident surface of the first curved portion, and the recessed portion is recessed into the light guide unit in a direction toward the first surface.