BACKLIGHT ASSEMBLY AND DISPLAY APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME

• US 20120195063A1
• Filed: 11/04/2011
• Published: 08/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Guk-Hyun, CHEONG, Byoung-Ho
• Application Number:
  US13/289,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20120195063A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/602
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0046 Tapered light guide, e.g. wedge-shaped light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0053 Prismatic sheet or layer; Brightness enhancement element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0055 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0073 Light emitting diode [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/18 Edge-illuminated signs
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/22 electroluminescent electroluminescent light sources per se H05B33/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2013/222 with LEDs

Abstract

A backlight assembly includes a plurality of light sources generating light, a light guide plate and a prism sheet. The light sources include first light sources and second light sources having a different emitting angle from the first light sources. The light guide plate includes an incident surface to which the light is incident, an exiting surface extended from the incident surface, opposing to the incident surface and emitting the incident light and an opposing surface extended from the exiting surface. The opposing surface meets the exiting surface at a substantially straight line. The prism sheet converts the emitted light from the light guide plate.

Claims

1. A backlight assembly comprising:

a plurality of light sources generating light, the light sources including first light sources, and second light sources having a different emitting angle from the first light sources;

a light guide plate including;

an incident surface to which the light is incident;

an exiting surface which extends from the incident surface and emits the incident light; and

an opposing surface which extends from the exiting surface, opposes the incident surface and meets the exiting surface at a substantially straight line, and a prism sheet which converts light emitted from the light guide plate.

2. The backlight assembly of claim 1,

wherein the opposing surface comprises a zigzag pattern and comprises a greater height than the incident surface

3. The backlight assembly of claim 1,

wherein the prism sheet changes a progressing direction of the light emitted from the light guide plate to be substantially perpendicular to the exiting surface.

4. The backlight assembly of claim 1,

wherein the incident surface comprises a light adjusting pattern corresponding to a portion of the light sources.

5. The backlight assembly of claim 4,

wherein the light adjusting pattern has a trapezoid pillar shape.

6. The backlight assembly of claim 4,

wherein the light adjusting pattern has a spherical shape.

7. The backlight assembly of claim 1,

further comprising a lens array between the incident surface and the light sources and including a light adjusting pattern corresponding to a portion of the light sources.

8. The backlight assembly of claim 7,

wherein the light adjusting pattern has a convex lens shape.

9. The backlight assembly of claim 8,

wherein

the light sources further comprise a plurality of light source groups, and

each of the light source groups comprises at least one of the first light sources, and at least one of the second light sources adjacent to the one first light source.

10. The backlight assembly of claim 1,

wherein

the light sources comprise a plurality of light source groups, and

each of the light source groups comprises at least three light sources adjacent to each other and having a different emitting angle distribution from each other.

11. The backlight assembly of claim 1,

wherein the light guide plate further includes a reflective layer on the opposing surface.

12. The backlight assembly of claim 1,

wherein

the zigzag pattern of the opposing surface forms a zigzag shape on a plane substantially perpendicular to the incident surface and the exiting surface, and

protrusion parts of the zigzag pattern are arranged substantially parallel to the line at which the exiting surface and the opposing surface meet.

13. The backlight assembly of claim 12,

wherein the opposing surface is substantially parallel to the incident surface.

14. The backlight assembly of claim 12,

wherein the opposing surface has a circular arc shape on a plane substantially perpendicular to the incident surface and the exiting surface.

15. The backlight assembly of claim 14,

wherein

the light guide plate further comprises a lower surface opposing the exiting surface;

and

a center point of the circular arc of the opposing surface is substantially the same as a meeting point at which an extension line of the exiting surface and an extension line of the lower surface meet at a plane substantially perpendicular to the incident surface and the exiting surface.

16. The backlight assembly of claim 1,

wherein the prism sheet includes a prism pattern on one surface of the prism sheet.

17. The backlight assembly of claim 16,

further comprising a reflective plate under the light guide plate, and

wherein the prism sheet is on the exiting surface, and the prism pattern of the prism sheet faces the exiting surface.

18. The backlight assembly of claim 17,

further comprising a diffusion sheet on the prism sheet, wherein the diffusion sheet diffuses light emitted from the prism sheet.

19. The backlight assembly of claim 16,

wherein

the prism sheet is under the light guide plate, and

the prism sheet further includes a reflective layer on the prism pattern of the prism sheet.

20. The backlight assembly of claim 19,

wherein a surface of the prism sheet not including the prism pattern faces the light guide plate.

21. The backlight assembly of claim 19,

wherein a surface of the prism sheet including the prism pattern faces the light guide plate.

22. The backlight assembly of claim 19,

further comprising a transparent adhesive between the prism sheet and the light guide plate, wherein the transparent adhesive material adheres the prism sheet to the light guide plate, and

wherein a refractive index of the transparent adhesive material is smaller than a refractive index of the light guide plate.

23. The backlight assembly of claim 22, further comprising a diffusion sheet on the light guide plate and diffusing the light emitted from the exiting surface of the light guide plate.

24. A display apparatus comprising:

a backlight assembly comprising;

a plurality of light sources generating light, the light sources including first light sources, and second light sources having a different emitting angle from the first light sources;

a light guide plate including;

an incident surface to which the light is incident;

an exiting surface extended from the incident surface and emitting the incident light; and

an opposing surface which extends from the exiting surface, opposes

the incident surface and meets the exiting surface at a substantially straight line,

a prism sheet which converts the emitted light from the light guide plate, and

a display panel on the backlight assembly and displaying an image by using the light provided from the backlight assembly.

25. The display apparatus of claim 24,

wherein the opposing surface comprises a zigzag pattern and comprises a greater height than the incident surface

26. The display apparatus of claim 24,

wherein the prism sheet changes a progressing direction of the light emitted from the light guide plate to be substantially perpendicular to the exiting surface.

27. The display apparatus of claim 24,

wherein the incident surface comprises a light adjusting pattern corresponding to a portion of the light sources.

28. The display apparatus of claim 24, further comprising a lens array between the incident surface and the light sources and including a light adjusting pattern corresponding to a portion of the light sources.

29. The display apparatus of claim 24, further comprising a light source driving part including:

a first sub light source driving part driving the first light sources, and

a second sub light source driving part driving the second light sources.

30. The display apparatus of claim 24,

wherein

the backlight assembly further comprises a reflective plate under the light guide plate, and

the prism sheet is on the light guide plate.

31. The display apparatus of claim 24,

wherein

the prism sheet is under the light guide plate, and

the prism sheet further includes a reflective layer on the prism pattern of the prism sheet.

32. The display apparatus of claim 31,

further comprising a transparent adhesive material between the prism sheet and the light guide plate, wherein the transparent adhesive material adheres the prism sheet to the light guide plate, and

wherein a refractive index of the transparent adhesive material is smaller than a refractive index of the light guide plate.