Plane light source apparatus

• US 6,967,698 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2002
• Issued: 11/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Tanoue, Yasuhiro, Tsuji, Junichiro, Takagi, Junichi, Shinohara, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Dung T.
• Application Number:
  US10/252,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20030058382A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 349 61- 65, 362/31
• US Class Current: 349/62
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0028 Light guide, e.g. taper
• 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 6/0046 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 6/0061 to provide homogeneous light output intensity
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0071 with elongated shape, e.g. tube

Abstract

To make an efficiency of utilizing light with high efficiency in a plane light source apparatus used along with a liquid crystal display panel of a reflection type as a backlight, light f3 leaked from a rear face of a light guide plate 25 in a skewed direction, is incident on inside of a prism sheet 27 and reflected by a reflecting face 32. Light f3 reflected by the reflecting face 32, is reflected in a direction orthogonal to the prism sheet 27, passes the light guide plate 25 and is emitted from a light emitting face 30 of the light guide plate 25 in a direction orthogonally thereto.

Claims

1. A plane light source apparatus comprising:

a light source; and

a light guide plate for confining light from the light source and emitting the light from a surface thereof;

wherein an optical sheet for reflecting light emitted from a rear face of the light guide plate in a skewed direction and making the light incident on the rear face of the light guide plate again orthogonally to the rear face is arranged opposite to the rear face of the light guide plate,

wherein the optical sheet is formed with a recessed and projected pattern on a face thereof on a side opposed to a face thereof opposed to the light guide plate, and the face formed with the recessed and projected pattern defines a light reflecting face,

wherein the rear face of the light guide plate is discretely formed with a diffusing pattern for reflecting light in the light guide plate, and the light reflected by the diffusing pattern is emitted from the surface of the light guide plate in a direction substantially orthogonal to the surface of the light guide plate, and

wherein a directing angle of the light reflected by the optical sheet and then emitted from the light guide plate is narrower than a directing angle of the light reflected by the diffusing pattern and then emitted from the light guide plate.

2. The plane light source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light reflecting face is produced by forming a metal thin film on the face formed with the recessed and projected pattern.

3. The plane light source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light reflected by the optical sheet and made incident on the rear face of the light guide plate again, is emitted from a surface of the light guide plate in a direction substantially orthogonal to the surface of the light guide plate.

4. The plane light source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light source is a light source extended along an end face of the light guide plate and the recessed and projected pattern formed at the optical sheet is a pattern in parallel with the light source.

5. The plane light source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light source is a point light source and the recessed and projected patterns formed at the optical sheet and diffusing patterns formed at the light guide plate are respectively arranged in a shape of concentric circles centering on the light source.