Film lens and a surface light source using the same

• US 5,598,280 A
• Filed: 03/22/1994
• Issued: 01/28/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Company Limited
• Inventors: Takeuchi, Michiko, Nishio, Toshikazu, Masubuchi, Nobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms, David C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NIRANJAN, FRANK
• Application Number:
  US08/215,789
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 359/261, 359/263, 359/291, 359/572, 359/589, 359/366, 359/642, 359/36, 359/40, 359/49, 359/69, 359/51, 359/619, 362/31, 362/32, 362/26, 362/27, 362/330, 362/329, 385/147
• US Class Current: 349/57
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/04 of lens shape
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/045 Prism arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0053 Prismatic sheet or layer; Brightness enhancement element, sheet or layer

Abstract

A film lens comprises a light transmitting base having one side and an opposite side, a plurality of concave or convex unit lenses formed on the one side of the light transmitting base, and a plurality of projections formed on the opposite side of the light transmitting base and having a profile height not smaller than the wavelength of a source light and not greater than 100 μm. In this arrangement, when the film lens is placed on a smooth surface of a light guide plate of a surface light source of the edge-light type, the projections on the reverse side of the light transmitting base can secure a gap with a width not smaller than the wavelength of the source light between the film lens and the light guide plate. Thus, the source light can be uniformly distributed without hindrance throughout the light guide plate as it is totally reflected by the surface of the guide plate. In the surface light source using the film lens, moreover, the lens can provide a uniform luminance in a desired angular range, and a uniform luminance distribution can be obtained for the whole surface without concentration in the vicinity of the light source.

Claims

1. A film lens adapted for use with a source light, comprising:

a light transmitting base having first and second opposite sides, said first side having a plurality of concave or convex unit lenses, said second side having plurality of projections, said projections having a profile height not smaller than a wavelength of the source light and not greater than 100 μ

m, wherein the height Δ

h of each said projection is given by

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">Δ

h≧

λ

.sub.max /2Δ

θ

.sup.2,

where λ

_max is the maximum wavelength of the visible spectrum of the light source, and Δ

θ

is the angular radius of the light source as viewed through a reflective surface of the film lens, said projections are arranged noncylically in one- and two- dimensional modes, and the width Δ

x of each said projection is given by

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">Δ

x≦

100 μ

m, and

the average distance d between each two adjacent projections is given by

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">d<

2P,

where P is the arrangement cycle of the unit lenses.

3. A surface light source comprising:

a light guide member comprised of a light transmitting flat plate having first and second opposite sides;

a light source unit located adjacent to at least one of opposite side end faces of the light guide member;

a first film lens located on the first side of the light guide member and having a lens array composed of unit lenses arranged one- or two- dimensionally;

a second film lens according to claim 3 stacked on the lens array of the first film lens so that the projections of the second film lens face the first film lens; and

a light reflecting layer located on the second side of the light guide member.

2. A surface light source comprising:

a light guide member comprised of a light transmitting flat plate having first and second opposite sides;

a light source unit located adjacent to at least one of opposite side end faces of the light guide member;

a film lens according to claim 3 located on the first side of the light guide member so that the projections face the light guide member; and

a light reflecting layer located on the second side of the light guide member.

4. A film lens adapted for use with a source light, comprising:

a light transmitting base having first and second opposite sides, said first side having a plurality of concave or convex unit lenses, said second side having a plurality of projections, said projections having a profile height not smaller than a wavelength of the source light and not greater than 100 μ

m, wherein at least some of said projections on the second side of the film lens are comprised of a coating material loaded with an antistatic agent.

5. A surface light source comprising:

a light guide member comprised of a light transmitting flat plate having first and second opposite sides;

a light source unit located adjacent to at least one of opposite side end faces of the light guide member;

a film lens according to claim 4 located on the first side of the light guide member so that the projections face the light guide member; and

a light reflecting layer located on the second side of the light guide member.

6. A film lens adapted for use with a source light, comprising:

a light guide plate;

a light transmitting base having first and second opposite sides, said first side having a plurality of concave or convex unit lenses, said second side having a plurality of projections, said projections having a profile height not smaller than a wavelength of the source light and not greater than 100 μ

m, said light transmitting base being provided on said light guide plate such that said second surface of the light transmitting base faces said light guide plate through gap Δ

x, wherein Δ

x is greater than the wavelength of the source light over not less than 80% of a surface area of the light guide plate.