Surface light-emitting device

• US 7,128,457 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2003
• Issued: 10/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Kazuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Laura K.
• Application Number:
  US10/514,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20060013015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,288 Days
• Field of Search: 362/31, 362/26, 362/558, 362/582, 362/551, 362/552, 362/560, 362/600, 362/606, 362/607, 362/616, 362/618, 362/619, 362/620, 362/627, 362/628, 362/629
• US Class Current: 362/618
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0048 with stepwise taper
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0051 Diffusing sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0055 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0065 Manufacturing aspects; Material aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0096 the lights guides being of the hollow type

Abstract

There is provided a surface light-emitting device capable of preventing an increase in power consumption even if the length of the light-emitting surface of the surface light-emitting device is greater than the width, and capable of emitting light uniformly without decreasing the brightness of the light-emitting surface nor increasing the height of the light guiding space. In the present surface light-emitting device, the incident plane (201) is one of two sides of the light guiding space (20) in opposition in the longitudinal direction. The light-transmitting plate (4) includes a diffusion filter (6) which covers a specific area of the surface of the light-transmitting plate (4) near the light source (3). The remaining area of the surface of the light-transmitting plate at a distance from the light source (3) is not covered with the diffusion filter (6). The diffusion filter (6) is formed of a laminate in which a plurality of diffuse transmission films are layered. The number of diffuse transmission film (6) layers is highest in the area closest to the light source (3) so that the light transmittance is increased as the distance from the light source (3) increases due to a decrease in the diffusion of light, and the number is gradually decreased as the distance from the light source (3) increases.

Claims

1. A surface light-emitting device comprising:

a body outlining a light guiding space in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped having a specific length, width, and height, and

a light source which is arranged outside the body to supply light to the light guiding space,

wherein light supplied from the light source through an incident plane formed of at least one of the sides of the light guiding space can be emitted to the outside through an emission plane formed of the side which intersects the incident plane at right angles,

wherein the body includes a light-transmitting member arranged to cover the emission plane, the light-transmitting member includes a light-transmitting plate having a back face facing the light guiding space and a surface opposing the back face, and a prism sheet arranged on the back face of the light-transmitting plate, the surface of the light-transmitting plate is a light-emitting surface,

wherein the incident plane is one of the opposing sides of the light guiding space in the longitudinal direction, the light-transmitting plate includes a diffusion filter covering a specific area of the surface of the light-transmitting plate near the light source, the remaining area of the surface of the light-transmitting plate at a distance from the light source is not covered with the diffusion filter, and

wherein the diffusion filter is formed of a laminate in which a plurality of diffuse transmission films is layered, and the number of diffuse transmission film layers is greatest in the area close to the light source and gradually decreases as the distance from the light source increases so that light transmittance is increased as the distance from the light source increases due to a decrease in diffusion of light.

2. The surface light-emitting device according to claim 1,

wherein the light-transmitting plate includes a plurality of block light-transmitting plates which are arranged horizontally along the longitudinal direction of the light guiding space so that the edges of the block light-transmitting plates are in contact with one another,

the diffusion filter substantially covers the entire area of the surfaces of a specific number of the block light-transmitting plates present near the light source, but does not cover the surfaces of the remaining block light-transmitting plates present at a distance from the light source, and

the number of diffuse transmission film layers is greatest on the block light-transmitting plate close to the light source and gradually decreases as the distance from the light source increases.

3. The surface light-emitting device according to claim 2, wherein the borderline between the block light-transmitting plates corresponds to the edge of the diffuse transmission film.

4. The surface light-emitting device according to claim 2, wherein the light-transmitting member is formed of an assembly of block light-transmitting members, each of which includes the block light-transmitting plate, the prism sheet is formed of an assembly of divided pieces of prism sheets, and the divided pieces of the prism sheets are disposed on the block light-transmitting plates to form the block light-transmitting members.

5. The surface light-emitting device according to claim 4, wherein the body is formed of an assembly of body units, each of which includes one of the block light-transmitting members and is in almost the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, each of the body units has a block space formed therein, and a plurality of block spaces is optically connected to form the light guiding space.