Backlighting device

• US 5,289,351 A
• Filed: 03/19/1992
• Issued: 02/22/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tosoh Corporation
• Original Assignee: Tosoh Corporation
• Inventors: Kashima, Keiji, Yoshida, Naoki, Shoji, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazarus, Ira S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cariaso, Alan B.
• Application Number:
  US07/854,076
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: 362/31, 362/26, 362/27, 362/339, 362/327, 362/330, 362/333
• US Class Current: 362/627
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/00 Reflectors for light sources characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/505
• 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 6/0055 Reflecting element, sheet or layer

Abstract

A backlighting device for display panels operating on the edge lighting method that comprises a light conducting plate made of a light-transmissive material, a layer of light-diffusing material that partly covers one major surface of the light conducting plate, and a light diffusing/reflecting plate that covers the thus covered area of the light conducting plate. The light conducting plate is provided on its exit face with a film that is coarser grained on the exit face than on the entrance face (the side closer to the light conducting plate) and which, when provided on the exit face of the light conducting plate, will increase the luminance of light issuing from the exit face of the light conducting plate. This backlighting device produces satisfactory luminance and can be used as a high-performance model that achieves a high efficiency of power to luminance conversion at least in the direction of the line normal to the exit face.

Claims

1. A backlighting device for display panels, comprising:

a light-conducting plate comprising a light-transmissive material, said light-conducting plate having a light-diffusing material disposed thereon;

one of a specular reflecting plate and a light diffusing/reflecting plate that covers an entire bottom surface of the light-conducting plate; and

a linear light source provided in proximity to an end portion of at least one side of said light-conducting plate for propagating light along the entire light-conducting plate;

wherein said light-conducting plate includes an exit face opposite said bottom surface and having positioned thereon at least one film of a light-transmissive material, said film having an entrance face and an exit face, said exit face of said film being coarser grained than on said entrance face of said film, said entrance face of said film being closer to said light-conducting plate than said exit face of said film.

2. A backlighting device according to claim 1, wherein said film of a light-transmissive material provided on the exit face of the light conducting plate increases the luminance of light issuing from the exit face of said light-conducting plate as measured in the direction of a line substantially normal to the exit face of said film.

3. A backlighting device according to claim 1, wherein the grained exit face of the film includes surface asperities and, when examined under a microscope at a magnification of 100, said face has a contour such that the difference in height between a concave and an adjacent convex as taken in the direction of the line normal to the exit face or the distance between adjacent concaves or convexes as taken in the direction parallel to the exit face, is in the range of 10 to 1,000 μ

m.

4. A backlighting device according to claim 2, wherein the grained exit face of the film includes surface asperities and, when examined under a microscope at a magnification of 100, said face has a contour such that the difference in height between a concave and an adjacent convex as taken in the direction of the line normal to the exit face or the distance between adjacent concaves or convexes as taken in the direction parallel to the exit face, is in the range of 10 to 1,000 μ

m. PG,22

5. A backlighting device according to claim 1 wherein said light-diffusing material partly covers one major surface of said light-conducting plate, said light-diffusing material having a higher reflective index than the material of which said light-conducting plate is made.

6. A backlighting device according to claim 1, wherein the coarser grained exit face of said film comprises a surface having projections thereon having an apex, an apical angle being formed with respect to said coarser grained exit face of said film when said film is cut through the apex of the projections in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the coarser grained exit face, said angle being in the range of 80 to 150 degrees when said film is cut so as to obtain a minimum apical angle.

7. A backlighting device according to claim 3, wherein the coarser grained exit face of said film comprises a surface having projections thereon having an apex, an apical angle being formed with respect to said coarser grained exit face of said film when said film is cut through the projections in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the coarser grained exit face, said angle being in the range of 80 to 150 degrees when said film is cut so as to obtain a minimum apical angle.

8. A backlighting device according to claim 1, wherein said film is directly positioned on said light-conducting plate.

9. A backlighting device according to claim 1, wherein a light diffusing film is provided between said light-conducting plate and said film having the coarser grained exit face.