Surface light emitting device

• US 6,601,962 B1
• Filed: 05/10/2000
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nichia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nichia Corporation
• Inventors: Nakanishi, Eiji, Nojiri, Hitoshi, Kunikata, Koichi, Ehara, Munetsugu
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Laura K.
• Application Number:
  US09/567,428
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 362/31, 362/555, 362/558
• US Class Current: 362/612
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0016 Grooves, prisms, gratings, scattering particles or rough surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/002 by shaping at least a portion of the light guide, e.g. with collimating, focussing or diverging surfaces

Abstract

An surface light emitting device that is capable of emitting light of high luminance with higher uniformity is disclosed.

The surface light emitting device comprising; a light guide plate, a reflector on the under surface of the light guide plate and, an LED light source having at least one LED element and provided so that a light emitted by the LED element is incident on at least one end face of the light guide plate, wherein the light guide plate has a light diffusing portion on the one end face so that a light emitted from the LED light source enters the light guide plate while being diffused therein, and the light diffusing portion has the top end being space from the top surface.

Claims

1. A surface light emitting device comprising:

a light guide plate having a top surface for emitting light and an under surface that opposes said top surface;

a reflector on the under surface of said light guide plate and

an LED light source comprising at least one LED element and disposed so that light emitted by the LED element is incident on at least one end face of said light guide plate,

wherein said light guide plate comprises a light diffusing portion on one end face disposed so that light emitted from the LED light source enters the light guide plate while being diffused therein, said light diffusing portion having a top end spaced from the top surface.

2. The surface light emitting device according to claim 1;

wherein said light diffusing portion has at least one notch made in a shape of half pyramid or half circular cone expanding downward from an apex on the one end face, said apex being located apart from the top surface.

3. The surface light emitting device according to claim 2;

wherein said notch has a triangular pyramid shape.

4. The surface light emitting device according to claim 3;

wherein said light diffusing portion has a plurality of notches for each LED element.

5. The surface light emitting device according to claim 4;

wherein adjacent notches among the plurality of notches for each LED element are spaced from each other at the under surface of the light guide plate.

6. The surface light emitting device according to claim 4;

wherein each notch has a configuration of a triangular pyramid having two inclined surfaces, and at least one of said notches has inclined surfaces having inclined angles different from that of another at least one of notches.

7. The surface light emitting device according to claim 6;

wherein each inclined surface of said notches have an different angle with respect to the one end each other.

8. The surface light emitting device according to claim 1;

wherein said light diffusing portion is formed so that the top end and the bottom end of said light diffusing portion are located away from the top surface and the under surface at the one end face.

9. The surface light emitting device according to claim 8;

wherein a inner surface of said light diffusing portion is a curved surface.

10. The surface light emitting device according to claim 9;

wherein a inner surface of said light diffusing portion is a spherical surface.

11. The surface light emitting device according to claim 9;

wherein said light diffusing portion is made in a semi-cylindrical shape.

12. The surface light emitting device according to claim 1;

wherein said LED element is covered by a light transmitting resin.

13. The surface light emitting device according to claim 3;

wherein said LED element is covered by a light transmitting resin.

14. The surface light emitting device according to claim 6;

wherein said LED element is covered by a light transmitting resin.

15. The surface light emitting device according to claim 12;

wherein said light transmitting resin contains a phosphor that absorbs a light emitted by the light emitting element and emits visible light having a wavelength different from that of the light absorbed.

16. The surface light emitting device according to claim 15;

wherein said light emitting element is capable of emitting a visible light and said phosphor emits visible light having a wavelength longer than that of the light absorbed.

17. The surface light emitting device according to claim 15;

wherein said LED element has a nitride semiconductor and said phosphor consists of yttrium-aluminum-garnet activated with cerium.

18. The surface light emitting device according to claim 1;

wherein said LED light source is an LED bar light source having a surface located to oppose the one end face of said light guide plate and a light emitting portion that has a concave shape formed in the surface where the LED element is mounted and is filled with a light transmitting resin, said light emitting portion being located so that the light emerging surface of said light emitting portion oppose to said light diffusing portion.

19. The surface light emitting device according to claim 3;

wherein said LED light source is an LED bar light source having a surface located to oppose the one end face of said light guide plate and a light emitting portion that has a concave shape formed in the surface where the LED element is mounted and is filled with a light transmitting resin, said light emitting portion being located so that the light emerging surface of said light emitting portion oppose to said light diffusing portion.

20. The surface light emitting device according to claim 6;

wherein said LED light source is an LED bar light source having a surface located to oppose the one end face of said light guide plate and a light emitting portion that has a concave shape formed in the surface where the LED element is mounted and is filled with a light transmitting resin, said light emitting portion being located so that the light emerging surface of said light emitting portion oppose to said light diffusing portion.

21. The surface light emitting device according to claim 18;

wherein said LED bar light source has a plurality of light emitting portions.

22. The surface light emitting device according to claim 18;

wherein said light transmitting resin contains a phosphor that absorbs a light emitted by the light emitting element and emits visible light having a wavelength different from that of the light absorbed.

23. The surface light emitting device according to claim 22;

wherein said light emitting element is capable of emitting a visible light and said phosphor emits visible light having a wavelength longer than that of the light absorbed.

24. The surface light emitting device according to claim 23;

wherein said light emitting portion emits a white light generated by mixing the light emitted by LED element and the light emitted by the phosphor.

25. The surface light emitting device according to claim 22;

wherein said LED element has a nitride semiconductor and said phosphor consists of yttrium-aluminum-garnet activated with cerium.

26. The surface light emitting device according to claim 18;

wherein said light emitting portion emits a white light generated by mixing the light emitted by LED element and the light emitted by the phosphor.

29. A liquid crystal display comprising said surface light emitting device according to claim 1.

27. A light guide plate for a surface light emitting device comprising:

a top surface for emitting light,

an under surface that opposes said top surface,

at least one end face on the light guide plate positioned between said top surface and said under surface, said end face having a light diffusing portion thereon so that incident light enters the light guide plate and is diffused therein,

wherein said light diffusing portion has at least one notch expanding in the direction of said under surface.

28. The light guide plate according to claim 27,

wherein said at least one notch is made in a shape of half pyramid or half circular cone.