LIGHTING DEVICE AND DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20190317267A1
• Filed: 04/08/2019
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2018
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: NAKAO, SHIHOMI
• Application Number:
  US16/377,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20190317267A1
• 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 6/0045 by shaping at least a portion of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0086 Positioning aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0088 of the light guide or other optical sheets in the package

Abstract

A lighting device includes a light source and a light guide plate including a light source opposed surface through which light from the light source enters and a pair of plate surfaces through one of which the light exits. The light source is opposed to a middle portion of the light source opposed surface with respect to a longitudinal direction thereof. The light source opposed surface has a light entry portion through which the light from the light source enters at a portion opposed to the light source and a non-light entry portion through which the light from the light source does not enter at a portion on either side of the light entry portion. The light guide plate has a shape such that a dimension thereof parallel to the longitudinal direction of the light source opposed surface is decreased as it is farther away from the light source.

Claims

1. A lighting device comprising:

a light source; and

a light guide plate including an outer peripheral surface a part of which is a light source opposed surface that is opposed to the light source and through which light from the source enters and including a pair of plate surfaces through one of which the light exits, wherein

the light source is disposed to be opposed to a middle portion of the light source opposed surface with respect to a longitudinal direction thereof,

the light source opposed surface has a light entry portion through which the light from the light source enters at a portion opposed to the light source and a non-light entry portion through which the light from the light source does not enter at a portion on either side of the light entry portion, and

the light guide plate has a shape such that a dimension thereof that is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the source opposed surface is decreased as it is farther away from the light source.

2. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light guide plate has a shape that is line-symmetric with respect to an axis orthogonal to the light source opposed surface as viewed from a direction orthogonal to the plate surface.

3. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light guide plate has a part of the outer peripheral surface as a light source opposite surface that is opposite from the light source opposed surface and parallel to the light source opposed surface.

4. The lighting device according to claim 3, wherein

the light guide plate includes a part of the outer peripheral surface as a coupling surface that connects the light source opposed surface and the light source opposite surface, and

the coupling surface is formed from a single plane surface connecting the light source opposed surface and the light source opposite surface.

5. The lighting device according to claim 3, wherein

the light guide plate includes a part of the outer peripheral surface as a coupling surface that connects an end portion of the light source opposed surface and an end portion of the light source opposite surface, and

the coupling surface is shaped to bulge outward from a plane connecting the light source opposed surface and the light source opposite surface as viewed from a direction orthogonal to the plate surface.

6. The lighting device according to claim 1, further comprising a frame that is provided on an outer peripheral side of the light guide plate and reflects at least part of light rays leaking from an outer peripheral portion of the light guide plate toward the light guide plate and has an inner peripheral surface thereof extending along the outer peripheral surface of the light guide plate.

7. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the light sources is arranged in parallel along the light entry portion of the light source opposed surface.

8. A display device comprising:

the lighting device according to claim 1; and

a display panel that displays an image using light from the lighting device.

9. The display device according to claim 8, wherein the non-light entry portion is configured not to overlap a portion of the light guide plate configured to emit light to a display area of the display panel as viewed from the light source.