Surface light source device

• US 5,584,556 A
• Filed: 11/30/1992
• Issued: 12/17/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Enplas Corporation
• Original Assignee: Enplas Corporation
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Tsuyoshi, Yokoyama, Kazuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazarus, Ira S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cariaso, Alan B.
• Application Number:
  US07/982,942
• Time in Patent Office: 1,478 Days
• Field of Search: 362/26, 362/27, 362/31, 362/327, 362/330, 362/331, 362/333, 362/339, 359/49, 359/48, 385/901, 385/129, 385/130, 385/131
• US Class Current: 362/625
• 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 6/005 provided by one optical element, or plurality thereof, placed on the light output side of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0055 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0061 to provide homogeneous light output intensity
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0071 with elongated shape, e.g. tube
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 385/901 Illuminating or display apparatus

Abstract

A surface light source device which comprises a light-conducting member consisting of a sheet of transparent material, a linear light source disposed adjacent to an edge surface of the light-conducting member, a diffusion plate disposed on a front surface of the light-conducting member and a reflective plate disposed on a rear side of the light-conducting member. The rear surface of the light-conducting member has depressions or projections. These depressions or projections have rough surfaces. By selecting the shape of the depressions or projections, and controlling the roughness of the rough surfaces, an enhanced uniform brightness distribution is provided.

Claims

1. A surface light source device comprising:

a light-conducting member, a linear light source disposed adjacent to an edge surface of incidence of said light-conducting member, a diffusion plate disposed along a front surface of said light-conducting member, and a reflective surface disposed along a rear exterior surface of said light-conducting member opposite said diffusion plate, said rear exterior surface comprising a plurality of depressions formed therein, said rear exterior surface comprising rough portions only in said depressions.

2. The surface light source device of claim 1 wherein said depressions are of conical shape.

3. The surface light source device of claim 1 wherein said depressions are of pyramidal form.

4. The surface light source device of claim 1 wherein said depressions are of hemispherical form and have an increased size as they lie farther from said edge surface of incidence, with depressions of the smallest size being disposed close to said edge surface of incidence.

5. The surface light source device of claim 1 wherein said depressions are of cylindrical shape and have an increased size as they lie farther from said edge surface of incidence, with depressions of the smallest size being disposed close to said edge surface of incidence.

6. The surface light source device of claim 5 wherein the innermost surface of said depressions has a spherical form.

7. The surface light source device of claim 1 wherein said depressions are identically shaped and sized and equally spaced and wherein said depressions have rough surfaces and the roughness of said rough surfaces become greater as said rough surfaces lie farther from said edge surface of incidence.

8. The surface light source device of claim 1 wherein said depressions are identically shaped and wherein said depressions become larger as said depressions lie farther from said edge surface of incidence with the largest depressions lying close to said edge surface of incidence.

9. The surface light source device of claim 1 wherein said depressions have an identical depth, but said depressions have an increased diameter as said depressions lie farther from said edge surface of incidence with the depressions of the smallest breadth lying close to said edge surface of incidence, and wherein said depressions have rough surfaces.

10. The surface light source device of claim 1 wherein said depressions have an identical diameter, but said depressions have an increased depth as said depressions lie farther from said edge surface of incidence with the depressions of the smallest depth lying close to said edge surface of incidence.

11. The surface light source device of any of claims 8, 9, or 10 wherein the roughness of said rough surfaces become greater as said rough surfaces lie farther from said edge surface of incidence.

22. The surface light source device of claim 1 wherein said rough surfaces are produced by an electric-discharge machining process.

23. The surface light source device of claim 11 wherein said rough surfaces are produced by an electric-discharge machining process.

25. The surface light source device of claim 1 wherein said light-conducting member has a decreased thickness along its length with its thickest portion lying close to said lighting source.

26. The surface light source device of claim 1 wherein a pair of light sources are disposed adjacent to the opposed ends of said light-conducting member and wherein said light-conducting member has depressions formed on its surface close to said reflective surface.

27. The surface light source device of claim 1 wherein said light source is disposed close to each of four sides of said light-conducting member and wherein said light-conducting member has depressions formed on its surface close to said reflective surface.

28. The surface light source device of any of claims 26 and 27 wherein said light-conducting member has a decreased thickness toward its center and said depressions are disposed in a corresponding incline.

12. A surface light source device comprising a linear light source, a light-conducting member having an edge surface of incidence disposed adjacent to said light source, a diffusion plate disposed on a front surface of said light-conducting member, and a reflective surface disposed on a surface of said light-conducting member opposite to said diffusion plate, said device comprising a multiplicity of corrugations formed on said surface of said light-conducting member close to said reflective surface, said corrugations having either curved surfaces or a combination of curved and planar surfaces continuously formed in all directions, and said corrugations having rough surfaces.

13. The surface light source device of claim 12 wherein said curved surfaces have an increased height as said curved surface lie farther from said edge surface of incidence, with lowest ones lying adjacent to said edge surface of incidence.

14. The surface light source device of claim 12 wherein said corrugations have a decreased spacing between adjacent corrugations as said corrugations lie farther from said edge surface of incidence and the ones with the largest spacing lying closest to said edge surface of incidence.

15. The surface light source device of claim 12 wherein said corrugations have one of an increased and decreased incline between a crest and a base of a waveform as said corrugations lie farther from said edge surface of incidence, in such a way that the incline is about 45°

to 60°

for the corrugations lying at the farthest position.

16. The surface light source device of claim 12 wherein roughness of said rough surfaces becomes greater as said rough surfaces lie farther from said edge surface of incidence.

17. The surface light source device of claim 12 wherein said corrugations are varied by selecting and changing at least two factors from the group comprising a height, spacing, incline between a crest and base of a waveform and roughness of said rough surfaces.

24. The surface light source device of any of claims 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 or 20 wherein said rough surfaces are produced by an electric-discharge machining process.

18. A surface light source device comprising a linear light source, a light-conducting member having an edge surface of incidence disposed adjacent to said light source, a light-reflective member placed on a surface of said light-conducting member opposite to said edge surface of incidence, a diffusion plate disposed on an emitting surface of said light-conducting member, and a reflective surface disposed on a surface of said light-conducting member, opposite said diffusion plate said device further comprising corrugations formed on said reflective surface of said light-conducting member, said corrugations having one of curved surfaces and a combination of curved and planar surfaces continuously formed in all directions, said corrugations having rough surfaces and said corrugations having an increased height with the lowest ones lying close to said edge surface of incidence, and again becoming lower toward said light-reflective member.

19. A surface light source device comprising a linear light source, a light-conducting member having an edge surface of incidence disposed adjacent to said light source, a light-reflective member placed on a surface of said light-conducting member opposite to said edge surface of incidence, a diffusion plate disposed on an emitting surface of said light-conducting member, and a reflective surface disposed on a surface of said light-conducting member, opposite to said diffusion plate said further device comprising corrugations formed on said reflective surface of said light-conducting member, said corrugations having one of curved surfaces and a combination of curved and planar surfaces continuously formed in all directions, said corrugations having rough surfaces, and said corrugations having a decreased spacing with said corrugations having the largest spacing lying close to said edge surface of incidence, and said spacing becoming larger toward said light-reflective member.

20. A surface light source device comprising a linear light source, a light-conducting member having an edge surface of incidence disposed adjacent to said light source, a light-reflective member placed on a surface of said light-conducting member opposite to said edge surface of incidence, a diffusion plate disposed on an emitting surface of said light-conducting member, and a reflective surface disposed on a surface of said light-conducting member opposite to said diffusion plate, said device further comprising corrugations formed on said reflective surface of said light-conducting member, said corrugations having rough surfaces, and the roughness of said rough surfaces becoming greater as said rough surfaces lie farther from said edge surface of incidence, and being smaller toward said light-reflective member.

21. A surface light source device comprising a linear light source, a light-conducting member having an edge surface of incidence disposed adjacent to said light source, a light-reflective member placed on a surface of said light-conducting member opposite to said edge surface of incidence, a diffusion plate disposed on an emitting surface of said light-conducting member, and a reflective surface disposed on a surface of said light-conducting member opposite to said diffusion plate, said device further comprising corrugations formed on said reflective surface of said light-conducting member, said corrugations are varied by selecting and changing at least two factors from the group comprising height, spacing, incline between a crest and base of a waveform and roughness of rough surfaces.

29. A surface light source device comprising:

a transparent plate-like light conducting member;

a linear light source disposed proximate a light incident edge surface of said light conducting member,

a diffusion plate disposed along one exterior surface of said light conducting member, and

a reflecting plate disposed at an opposite exterior surface of said light conducting member than the surface along which said diffusion plate is disposed,

a plurality of concave surfaces and a plurality of convex surfaces alternatively formed on said opposite exterior surface, and

wherein only said concave surfaces and said convex surfaces of said opposite exterior surface are formed as rough surfaces.

30. A surface light source device comprising:

a transparent plate-like light conducting member,

a linear light source disposed proximate a light incident edge surface of said light conducting member,

a diffusion plate disposed along one exterior surface of said light conducting member, and

a reflecting plate disposed at an opposite exterior surface of said light conducting member than the surface along which said diffusion plate is disposed,

one of a plurality of concave surfaces and a plurality of convex surfaces being formed on said opposite exterior surface, and

wherein only said concave surfaces or said convex surfaces of said opposite exterior surface are formed as rough surfaces.