Surface light source, method for manufacturing the same and apparatus using it

• US 7,014,349 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2001
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Aoyama, Shigeru, Shinohara, Masayuki, Takagi, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, Y MY QUACH
• Application Number:
  US10/220,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20030128538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,848 Days
• Field of Search: 362/26, 362/31, 362/330, 362/339, 362/555, 362/561, 362/600, 362/603, 362/608, 362/610, 349/65
• US Class Current: 362/600
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0016 Grooves, prisms, gratings, scattering particles or rough surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0028 Light guide, e.g. taper
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/003 Lens or lenticular 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 6/0061 to provide homogeneous light output intensity
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133615 Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side

Abstract

The light emitted from a spot light source (45) is emitted at a linearly extending region by a wedge-like light conductor (47) and deflected by a prism sheet (50). This light is emitted in a direction perpendicular to a light incident surface (44a) of the light conductor plate (44) and has a directivity narrow in a widthwise direction of the light conductor plate (44). The light conductor plate (44) is formed, at its bottom surface, with a multiplicity of diffusion patterns (46) in a rectangular triangular form. The light reflected upon the diffusion pattern (46) is emitted perpendicularly to a light emitting surface (44b) of the light conductor plate (44). At this time, part of the light incident on the diffusion pattern (46) transmits through the diffusion pattern (46) whereby the directivity of emission light is narrowed in a lengthwise direction of the light conductor plate.

Claims

1. A surface light source device comprising:

a light conductor plate for spreading an introduced light on nearly an entirety of a light emitting surface and emitting the introduced light from the light emitting surface;

a light source smaller in size as compared to a light incident surface of the light conductor plate; and

luminous flux shaping means for spreading a light emitted from the light source to nearly the entirety of the light incident surface and emitting the light,

wherein at least 50% of the incident light on the light conductor plate is included in an area defined by angles of 26 degrees as viewed from a direction perpendicular to the light emitting surface of the light conductor plate, and

wherein at least two-thirds of a total light emitted from the luminous flux shaping means is emitted to an area defined by angles of up to 40 degrees from a lengthwise direction of a light emitting surface of the luminous flux shaping means as viewed from a direction perpendicular to the light emitting surface of the light conductor plate,

wherein the luminous flux shaping means comprises, at a light emitting surface side, means to deflect the light emitted from the luminous flux shaping means to a direction perpendicular to a light emitting surface of the luminous flux shaping means.

2. A surface light source device according to claim 1, wherein the luminous flux shaping means is formed of a transparent material, and wherein a regular reflection plate is provided opposed to the opposite side of the light emitting surface of the luminous flux shaping means.

3. A surface light source device according to claim 2, wherein an angle defined by normal line direction of a deflecting slant surface and a direction perpendicular to the light emitting surface of the light conductor plate is 10 degrees or smaller, a regular reflection plate being provided on an opposite surface of the light emitting surface of the light conductor plate.

4. A liquid crystal display unit comprising a liquid crystal display panel for generating an image and a surface light source device according to claim 2 for lighting the liquid crystal display panel.

5. A cellular phone having a transceiver function, the cellular phone characterized by comprising a display section including a liquid crystal display unit according to claim 4.

6. An information terminal unit having an information processing function, the information terminal unit comprising a display section including a liquid crystal display unit according to claim 4.

7. A surface light source device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the light emitting surface and an opposite surface of the light conductor plate is provided with a concave-formed pattern having a deflecting slant surface which is slanted so that a normal line directed inside of the light conductor plate inclines to a direction that the light source is arranged, a direction of the normal line and a direction in which the light is traveling within the light conductor plate being in parallel as viewed in a direction perpendicular to the light emitting surface of the light conductor plate.

8. A surface light source device according to claim 7, wherein an angle defined by normal line direction of the deflecting slant surface and a direction perpendicular to the light emitting surface of the light conductor plate is 10 degrees or smaller, a regular reflection plate being provided on an opposite surface of the light emitting surface of the light conductor plate.

9. A liquid crystal display unit comprising a liquid crystal display panel for generating an image and a surface light source device according to claim 7 for lighting the liquid crystal display panel.

10. A cellular phone having a transceiver function, the cellular phone characterized by comprising a display section including a liquid crystal display unit according to claim 9.

11. An information terminal unit having an information processing function, the information terminal unit comprising a display section including a liquid crystal display unit according to claim 9.

12. A liquid crystal display unit comprising a liquid crystal display panel for generating an image and a surface light source device according to claim 7 for lighting the liquid crystal display panel.

13. A cellular phone having a transceiver function, the cellular phone characterized by comprising a display section including a liquid crystal display unit according to claim 12.

14. An information terminal unit having an information processing function, the information terminal unit comprising a display section including a liquid crystal display unit according to claim 12.

15. A surface light source device according to claim 1, wherein, at least two-thirds of the total light emitted within a plane perpendicular to the light emitting surface of the light conductor plate including a direction in which the light is traveling within the light conductor plate being emitted to an area defined by angles of up to 40 degrees with respect to the light emitting surface of the light conductor plate, wherein the light conductor plate comprises, at a light emitting surface side, a means to deflect the light emitted from the light emitting surface to a direction perpendicular to the light emitting surface.

16. A surface light source device according to claim 15, wherein the angle defined by a normal line direction of the deflecting slant surface and a direction perpendicular to the light emitting surface of the light conductor plate is 10 degrees or smaller, and wherein a regular reflection plate is provided on an opposite surface of the light emitting surface of the light conductor plate.

17. A liquid crystal display unit comprising a liquid crystal display panel for generating an image and the surface light source device according to claim 1 for lighting the liquid crystal display panel.

18. An information terminal unit having an information processing function, the information terminal unit comprising a display section including a liquid crystal display unit according to claim 17.

19. A cellular phone comprising a transceiver function, wherein the cellular phone comprising a display section including a liquid crystal display unit according to claim 17.

20. A surface light source device according to claim 1, wherein an angle defined by normal line direction of a deflecting slant surface and a direction perpendicular to the light emitting surface of the light conductor plate is 10 degrees or smaller, a regular reflection plate being provided on an opposite surface of the light emitting surface of the light conductor plate.

21. A surface light source device, comprising:

a light source; and

a light conductor plate for spreading a light introduced from the light source to nearly an entirety of a light emitting surface and emitting the light from a light emitting surface,

wherein the light conductor plate comprises a plurality of deflecting slant surfaces for totally reflecting light which travels in the light conductor plate and emitting the light from the light emitting surface;

as viewed in a direction perpendicular to the light emitting surface of the light conductor plate, a direction in which the light is traveling within the light conductor plate being aligned nearly in one direction at each position of the light conductor plate, an angle formed by a meeting of the normal of said deflecting slant surface, and said direction in which the light is traveling is distributed within an area of 30 degrees; and

the one of the plurality of deflecting slant surfaces in a section which is including a direction of light'"'"'s traveling within said light conductor plate and is perpendicular to said light emitting surface of said light conductor plate forms itself into a straight line.

22. A surface light source device, comprising:

a light source and a light conductor plate for spreading a light introduced from the light source to nearly an entirety of a light emitting surface and emitting the light from the light emitting surface,

wherein at least one of the light emitting surface and a backside surface of the light emitting surface of the light conductor plate is provided with a plurality of concave-formed patterns structured with a deflecting slant surface for total reflection of the light and a light re-incident surface for re-incidence of the light transmitted through the deflecting slant surface,

wherein the concave-formed pattern comprises a section in a triangular groove form comprising the deflecting slant surface and the light re-incident surface, and a section nearly uniform in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the light is traveling within the light conductor plate, the deflecting slant surface having an inclination of 45–

65 degrees relative to at least one of the light emitting surface and a backside surface of the light emitting surface of the light conductor plate comprising the concave-formed patterns; and

as viewed in a direction perpendicular to a plane including a direction in which the light is traveling within the light conductor plate and perpendicular to the light emitting surface of the light conductor plate, 50% or more of the light to be emitted from the light emitting surface of the light conductor plate being included in a range of within 30 degrees as viewed from the light emitting surface.