Surface light source device, elements therefor and apparatus using the same

• US 6,231,200 B1
• Filed: 10/11/1996
• Issued: 05/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Aoyama, Shigeru, Shinohara, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Sember, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US08/729,145
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• Field of Search: 362/26, 362/31, 362/27, 362/326, 362/327, 362/328, 362/330, 362/331, 362/339, 385/901, 385/147
• US Class Current: 362/619
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0016 Grooves, prisms, gratings, scattering particles or rough surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0018 Redirecting means on the surface of the light guide
• 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 6/0046 Tapered light guide, e.g. wedge-shaped light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0053 Prismatic sheet or layer; Brightness enhancement element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0055 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0056 for producing polarisation effects, e.g. by a surface with polarizing properties or by an additional polarizing elements
• 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: G03B 17/08 Waterproof bodies or housings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 385/901 Illuminating or display apparatus

Abstract

A surface light source device has a light conducting plate with a light source disposed adjacent to one of its side surfaces. At least one pattern is formed on the upper light emitting surface of the light conducting plate and/or the lower surface. The pattern is provided such that the sum of average slope angles of the light emitting surface and the opposite surface on a first sectional surface which is perpendicular to both the light incident surface and the light emitting surface is greater than the sum of average slope angles of the light emitting surface and the opposite surface on a second sectional surface which is parallel to the light incident side surface. Image display apparatus incorporating such a surface light source device have improved brightness and other characteristics.

Claims

1. A surface light source device comprising:

a single light conducting plate having a light incident side surface which is perpendicular to an incident direction, a light emitting surface and an opposite surface which is opposite to said light emitting surface;

a light source disposed adjacent to said light incident side surface of said light conducting plate, at least one surface of said light conducting plate being shaped with a deflection pattern serving to deflect light from said light source inside said light conducting plate gradually toward a perpendicular direction to said light emitting surface and to diffuse light from said light source inside said light conducting plate more strongly in a transverse direction, which is parallel to both said light incident side surface and said light emitting surface, than in said incident direction; and

a converging pattern serving to cause emitted light from said light emitting surface to be converged in said transverse direction and to thereby improve directionality of said emitted light;

said deflection pattern being on at least either of said light emitting surface and said opposite surface, and said converging pattern being on at least either of said fight emitting surface and said opposite surface.

2. A surface light source device comprising:

a single light conducting plate having a light incident side surface which is perpendicular to x-direction, a light emitting surface and an opposite surface which is opposite to said light emitting surface yz-direction being parallel to said light emitting surface and perpendicular to said x-direction; and

a light source disposed adjacent to said light incident side surface of said light conducting plate;

at least either of said light emitting surface and said opposite surface being shaped with a deflection pattern consisting of sectional surfaces sum of average slope angles of said sectional surfaces in said x-direction, being greater than sum of average slope angles of said sectional surfaces in said y-direction.

3. The surface light source device of claim 2 wherein said light conducting plate has a thickness and said pattern has a pitch which is less than one tenth of said thickness of said light conducting plate in a direction parallel to said light incident side surface.

4. The surface light source device of claim 2 wherein said light emitting surface has formed thereon a first pattern which is uniform in a direction perpendicular to said light incident side surface and said opposite surface has formed thereon a second pattern which is uniform in another direction parallel to said light incident side surface.

5. The surface light source device of claim 2 wherein said light emitting surface has formed thereon a first pattern which is uniform in a direction perpendicular to said light incident side surface and said opposite surface has formed thereon a second pattern having a nearly equal average slope on sectional surfaces in any direction.

6. The surface light source device of claim 2 wherein said pattern has a triangular wave shape on a sectional surface perpendicular to said light incident side surface and said light emitting surface.

7. The surface light source device of claim 2 further comprising a reflecting plate on said opposite surface capable of reflecting most of light incident thereon, said reflecting plate having formed thereon a pattern which is uniform in a direction perpendicular to said light incident side surface.

8. The surface light source device of claim 2 wherein said light conducting plate has a thickness which decreases with the distance from said light incident side surface.

9. The surface light source device of claim 2 wherein said pattern on a sectional surface perpendicular to said light incident side surface and said light emitting surface is a sawtooth pattern with a slope facing said light source.

10. The surface light source device of claim 2 further comprising a reflecting plate on a side surface of said light conducting plate opposite to said light incident side surface, said pattern being line-symmetric on a sectional plane perpendicular to said light incident side surface and said light emitting surface.

11. The surface light source device of claim 2 further comprising an optical pattern formed on said light incident side surface of said light conducting plate.

12. The surface light source device of claim 2 wherein said light incident side surface of said light conducting plate includes a portion which is not perpendicular to said light emitting surface at least in one part.

13. The surface light source device of claim 2 wherein said light source is disposed on at least two line segments, said light conducting plate being one of two or more light conducting plates each associated with a corresponding part of said light source on a corresponding one of said light segments.

14. The surface light source device of claim 13 wherein said light conducting plate has a side surface which is approximately perpendicular to said light emitting surface and approximately parallel or perpendicular to said light incident side surface.

15. The surface light source device of claim 2 wherein said light source is disposed on at least two line segments, said light incident side surface having parts each corresponding to a portion of said light source on an associated one of said line segments, patterns being formed on said light incident side surface such that light, immediately after made incident into said light conducting plate through each of said parts of said light incident side surface, travels in directions within an approximately same range.

16. The surface light source device of claim 2 further comprising a prism sheet disposed on said light emitting surface of said light conducting plate, said prism sheet having a uniform pattern in one direction, said uniform pattern having a bottom angle equal to or greater than 60 degrees.