Surface light source element

• US 5,550,676 A
• Filed: 09/06/1994
• Issued: 08/27/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Rayon Company Limited (Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Rayon Company Limited (Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohe, Makoto, Chiba, Issei
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thong Q.
• Application Number:
  US08/300,518
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 395/599, 395/619, 395/36, 395/40, 395/49, 362/26, 362/31, 362/223, 362/224, 362/339, 313/110, 345/90-98, 385/146, 385/33, 385/129, 385/901
• US Class Current: 359/599
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0001 specially adapted for lighting devices or systems lighting or signalling on vehicles using light guides B60Q1/00; lighting devices for vehicle dashboards B60Q3/10; lighting devices for vehicle interior using light guides B60Q3/62; lighting devices mounted on the vehicle rear part using light guides F21S43/235; measuring arrangements having light conducting pointers G01D13/265; illumination of liquid crystal displays G02F1/1336; illuminated signs G09F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0031 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0036 2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0038 Linear indentations or grooves, e.g. arc-shaped grooves or meandering grooves, extending over the full length or width of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0043 provided on the surface of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0061 to provide homogeneous light output intensity
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0071 with elongated shape, e.g. tube

Abstract

The present invention relates to a surface light source element used for a surface light source device, and in particular, to a surface light source element which can be used as a back light device for a liquid crystal display element. The surface light source element according to the invention is characterized in that at least one of the light emitting surface and the opposed surface of the transparent light guide has a directional light emitting function which radiates the incident light from the light incident surface of the transparent light guide in an oblique direction to the incident light and has a regulation function which makes the luminance of the light uniform over the light emitting surface in the whole surface thereof. According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a very thin type of a surface light source element which can produce emitted light with a uniform and high luminance.

Claims

1. A surface light source element, comprising:

a cylindrical light source means for generating light;

a transparent light guide having a light incident surface facing the cylindrical light source means, a light emitting surface that is perpendicular to the light incident surface, an opposed surface opposing the light emitting surface, and a light reflecting layer facing the opposed surface;

wherein incident light that is generated by said cylindrical light source means enters said transparent light guide through said light incident surface and propagates along an incident light direction; and

a diffusing means for diffusing light exiting from the light emitting surface, said diffusing member facing the light emitting surface;

wherein at least one of the light emitting surface and the opposed surface has flat areas which are optically flat and non-flat areas which are not optically flat and have a haze value of at least thirty percent, whereby said non-flat areas radiate light from the transparent light guide in a direction that is oblique to said incident light direction;

wherein a sum of areas of said flat areas of said at least one of the light emitting surface and the opposed surface decreases with increasing distance from said light incident surface.

2. A surface light source element according to claim 1, wherein said non-flat areas each consists of a plurality of lenses.

3. A surface light source element according to claim 1, wherein said non-flat areas each consists of optically toughened areas.

4. A surface light source element according to claim 1, wherein said transparent light guide consists of an acrylic resin.

5. A surface light source element according to claim 1, wherein said transparent light guide is an injection molded light guide.

6. A surface light source element according to claim 1, wherein said sum of areas of said flat areas decreases with increasing distance from said light incident surface such that luminance of said light emitting surface is uniform over the entire light emitting surface.

7. A surface light source element according to claim 1, wherein said light emitting surface has said flat areas and said non-flat areas.

8. A surface light source element according to claim 1, wherein said opposed surface has said flat areas and non-flat areas.

9. A surface light source element according to claim 1, wherein

a ratio of area of said flat areas to area of both said flat areas and said non-flat areas decreases in the direction away from said light incident surface.

10. A surface light source element according to claim 1, wherein both said light emitting surface and said opposed surface have flat areas and non-flat areas.

11. A surface light source element, comprising:

a cylindrical light source means for generating light;

a transparent light guide having a light incident surface facing the cylindrical light source means, a light emitting surface that is perpendicular to the light incident surface, an opposed surface opposing the light emitting surface, and a light reflecting layer provided on the opposed surface;

wherein incident light that is generated by said cylindrical light source means enters said transparent light guide through said light incident surface and propagates along an incident light direction; and

a diffusing member for diffusing light existing from the light emitting surface, said diffusing member facing the light emitting surface;

wherein at least one of the light emitting surface and the opposed surface has flat areas which are optically flat and non-flat areas which are not optically flat and have a haze value of at least thirty percent, whereby said non-flat areas radiate light from the transparent light guide in a direction that is oblique to said incident light direction;

wherein a ratio of area of said flat areas to area of both said flat areas and said non-flat areas decreases in the direction away from said light incident surface.