FRONT LIGHT MODULE AND DISPLAY MODULE

• US 20170082792A1
• Filed: 06/16/2016
• Published: 03/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E Ink Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: E Ink Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: Liao, Ching-Huan, Shei, Tsai-Wei
• Granted Patent: US 10,451,788 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0013 Means for improving the coupling-in of light from the light source into the light guide coupling light into light guides in general G02B6/42
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0076 Stacked arrangements of multiple light guides of the same or different cross-sectional area

Abstract

A front light module including a plurality of stacked transparent materials and a plurality of light sources is provided. The light sources are configured to provide light beams, and are disposed beside the light incident surface of the transparent materials. An edge portion is at a location of at least one of these transparent materials which is adjacent to the light sources. The edge portion includes a plurality of first sub-edges and a plurality of second sub-edges. The first sub-edges are disposed corresponding to the light sources. The first sub-edges and the second sub-edges are arranged alternately in a row, and one of the distances from the first sub-edges to the light entering surface is greater than one of the distances from the second sub-edges to the light entering surface. Furthermore, a display module is also provided.

Claims

1. A front light module, comprising:

a plurality of stacked transparent materials, comprising;

a first surface;

a second surface, opposite to the first surface; and

a light incident surface; and

a plurality of light sources, configured to provide a plurality of light beams and disposed beside the light incident surface, wherein an edge portion is at a location of at least one of the transparent materials that is adjacent to the light sources, the edge portion comprises a plurality of first sub-edges and a plurality of second sub-edges, the light sources are disposed in correspondence with the first sub-edges, and the first sub-edges and the second sub-edges are alternately arranged in a row, and one of distances from the first sub-edges to the light incident surface is greater than one of distances from the second sub-edges to the light incident surface.

2. The front light module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transparent materials comprise:

a first adhesive layer;

a second adhesive layer, wherein at least one of the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer has the edge portion; and

a first light guide plate located between the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer, having the light incident surface.

3. The front light module as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of a refractive index of the first adhesive layer and a refractive index of the second adhesive layer is smaller than a refractive index of the first light guide plate.

4. The front light module as claimed in claim 2, wherein materials of the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer comprises optical clear adhesive.

5. The front light module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transparent materials comprise:

a first adhesive layer;

a second adhesive layer; and

a first light guide plate located between the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer, having a first portion and a second portion, wherein one of the first portion and the second portion has the edge portion, and the other of the first portion and the second portion has the light incident surface,

wherein a refractive index of the first light guide plate is a gradient index. and.

6. The front light module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transparent materials comprise:

a first adhesive layer;

a first light guide plate;

a second light guide plate; and

a second adhesive layer, wherein a refractive index of the first light guide plate and a refractive index of the second light guide plate are substantially different from each other, the first light guide plate is located between the first adhesive layer and the second light guide plate, one of the first light guide plate and the second light guide plate has the edge portion, and the other of the first light guide plate and the second light guide plate has the light incident surface.

7. The front light module as claimed in claim 1, wherein an average of the distances from the first sub-edges to the light incident surface is greater than an average of the distances from the second sub-edges to the light incident surface.

8. The front light module as claimed in claim 1, wherein a shape of each of the first sub-edges is a V shape, a semi-circular shape, or a linear shape, and each of the second sub-edges is substantially parallel to the light incident surface.

9. The front light module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front light module further comprises a functional layer, the functional layer is disposed on the first surface and is an anti-glare layer, a protection layer, or an anti-reflective layer.

10. The front light module as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the light sources is aligned to one of the first sub-edges in a one-to-one relation.

11. The front light module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light sources are arranged beside the light incident surface along a line in an equidistant arrangement.

12. A display module, comprising:

a reflective display panel;

a plurality of stacked transparent materials, comprising;

a first surface;

a second surface, opposite to the first surface, wherein the second surface faces toward the reflective display panel, and the first surface faces away from the reflective display panel; and

a light incident surface; and

a plurality of light sources, configured to provide a plurality of light beams and disposed beside the light incident surface, wherein an edge portion is at a location of at least one of the transparent materials that is adjacent to the light sources, the edge portion comprises a plurality of first sub-edges and a plurality of second sub-edges, the first sub-edges and the second sub-edges are alternately arranged in a row, and one of distances from the first sub-edges to the light incident surface is greater than one of distances from the second sub-edges to the light incident surface.

13. The display module as claimed in claim 12, wherein the transparent materials comprise:

a first adhesive layer;

a first light guide plate, having the light incident surface; and

a second adhesive layer, wherein the first light guide plate is located between the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer, and at least one of the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer has the edge portion.

14. The display module as claimed in claim 13, wherein each of a refractive index of the first adhesive layer and a refractive index of the second adhesive layer is smaller than a refractive index of the first light guide plate.

15. The display module as claimed in claim 13, wherein materials of the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer comprise optical clear adhesive.

16. The display module as claimed in claim 12, wherein the transparent materials comprise:

a first adhesive layer;

a second adhesive layer; and

a first light guide plate located between the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer, having a first portion and a second portion, and one of the first portion and the second portion has the edge portion, and the other of the first portion and the second portion has the light incident surface,

wherein a refractive index of the first light guide plate is a gradient index.

17. The display module as claimed in claim 12, wherein the transparent materials comprise:

a first adhesive layer;

a first light guide plate;

a second light guide plate; and

a second adhesive layer, wherein a refractive index of the first light guide plate and a refractive index of the second light guide plate are substantially different from each other, the first light guide plate is located between the first adhesive layer and the second light guide plate, the second light guide plate is located between the first light guide plate and the second adhesive layer, one of the first light guide plate and the second light guide plate has the edge portion, and the other of the first light guide plate and the second light guide plate has the light incident surface.

18. The display module as claimed in claim 12, wherein a shape of each of the first sub-edges is a V shape, a semi-circular shape, or a linear shape, and each of the second sub-edges is substantially parallel to the light incident surface.

19. The display module as claimed in claim 12, wherein the front light module further comprises a functional layer, the functional layer is disposed on the first surface and is an anti-glare layer, a protection layer, or an anti-reflective layer.

20. The display module as claimed in claim 12, wherein an average of the distances from the first sub-edges to the light incident surface is greater than an average of the distances from the second sub-edges to the light incident surface.