Rod-shaped light transmission body, illuminating device, and liquid crystal display device

• US 7,210,840 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2005
• Issued: 05/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Maeda, Satoshi, Aritake, Hirokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Luebke; Renee
• Assistant Examiner(s): APENTENG, JESSICA MCMILLAN
• Application Number:
  US11/093,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20060139950A1
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 362/621, 362/626, 362/625, 362/628, 362/561, 362/558, 362/330, 362/331
• US Class Current: 362/626
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0028 Light guide, e.g. taper
• 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 6/0061 to provide homogeneous light output intensity

Abstract

A rod-shaped light transmission body that has a plurality of prisms and converts light incident from a light source to linear light through the prisms to output the linear light, the prisms including a first prism having a function of totally reflecting the incident light to output the light from the rod-shaped light transmission body, and second and third prisms that are positioned on both sides of the first prism, each of the second and the third prisms having a function of transmitting and deflecting the incident light.

Claims

1. A rod-shaped light transmission body including a plurality of prism groups, each group converting light incident from a light source to linear light to output the linear light, wherein

each prism group comprises a first prism having a function of totally reflecting the incident light to output the light from the rod-shaped light transmission body, and

a plurality of prisms that are positioned on both sides of the first prism, each prism having a function of transmitting and deflecting the incident light and having a second face at an angle of about 90°

to the longitudinal direction of the rod-shaped light transmission body.

2. The rod-shaped light transmission body according to claim 1, wherein

a face of the rod-shaped light transmission body that has the prism group is formed in a convex shape.

3. The rod-shaped light transmission body according to claim 1, wherein

a face of the rod-shaped light transmission body that has the prism group is formed in a polygonal shape.

4. The rod-shaped light transmission body according to claim 1, wherein

a face of the rod-shaped light transmission body that has the prism group is formed in a curved surface shape.

5. The rod-shaped light transmission body according to claim 1, wherein

a size of a face of the rod-shaped light transmission body into which light from the light source enters is smaller than a size of the light source in a longitudinal direction thereof.

6. The rod-shaped light transmission body according to claim 1, wherein

a size of a face of the rod-shaped light transmission body into which light from the light source enters is smaller than a size of the light source in a longitudinal direction thereof, and apex angles of the first prisms are from 85°

to 93°

.

7. The rod-shaped light transmission body according to claim 1, wherein

a face of the rod-shaped light transmission body that has the prism group is formed in a convex shape, a size of a face of the rod-shaped light transmission body into which light from the light source enters is smaller than a size of the light source in a longitudinal direction thereof, and apex angles of the first prisms are from 85°

to 93°

.

8. The rod-shaped light transmission body according to claim 1, wherein

a face of the rod-shaped light transmission body that has the prism group is formed in a polygonal shape, a size of a face of the rod-shaped light transmission body into which light from the light source enters is smaller than a size of the light source in a longitudinal direction thereof, and apex angles of the first prisms are from 85°

to 93°

.

9. The rod-shaped light transmission body according to claim 1, wherein

a face of the rod-shaped light transmission body that has the prism group is formed in a curved surface shape, a size of a face of the rod-shaped light transmission body into which light from the light source enters is smaller than a size of the light source in a longitudinal direction thereof, and apex angles of the first prisms are from 85°

to 93°

.

10. An illuminating device comprising:

a light source;

a rod-shaped light transmission body that has a plurality of prism groups converting light incident from the light source to linear light to output the linear light; and

a planer light transmission body that outputs the linear light incident from the rod-shaped light transmission body from a planer light-outputting face thereof in a planer manner, wherein

each prism group of the rod-shaped light transmission body comprises a first prism having a function of totally reflecting the incident light to output the light from the rod-shaped light transmission body, and

a plurality of prisms that are positioned on both sides of the first prism, each prism having a function of transmitting and deflecting the incident light and having a second face at an angle of about 90°

to the longitudinal direction of the rod-shaped light transmission body.

11. A rod-shaped light transmission body that has a prism group converting light incident from a light source to linear light to output the linear light, wherein

the prism group comprises a first prism having a function of totally reflecting the incident light to output the light from the rod-shaped light transmission body, and second and third prisms that are positioned on both sides of the first prism, each of the second and the third prisms having a function of transmitting and deflecting the incident light and having a second face at an angle of about 90°

to the longitudinal direction of the rod-shaped light transmission body.

12. An illuminating device comprising:

a light source;

a rod-shaped light transmission body that has a plurality of prism groups converting light incident from the light source to linear light to output the linear light; and

a planer light transmission body that outputs the linear light incident from the rod-shaped light transmission body from a planer light-outputting face thereof in a planer manner, wherein

each prism group of the rod-shaped light transmission body comprises a first prism having a function of totally reflecting the incident light to output the light from the rod-shaped light transmission body, and

second and third prisms that are positioned on both sides of the first prism, each of the second and the third prisms having a function of transmitting and deflecting the incident light and having a second face at an angle of about 90°

to the longitudinal direction of the rod-shaped light transmission body.

13. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

an illuminating device including a light source, a rod-shaped light transmission body that has a plurality of prism groups converting light incident from the light source to linear light to output the linear light, and a planer light transmission body that outputs the linear light incident from the rod-shaped light transmission body from a planer light-outputting face thereof in a planer manner, and

a liquid crystal panel, wherein

each prism group of the rod-shaped light transmission body comprises a first prism having a function of totally reflecting the incident light to output the light from the rod-shaped light transmission body and a plurality of prisms that are positioned on both sides of the first prism, each prism having a function of transmitting and deflecting the incident light and having a second face at an angle of about 90°

to the longitudinal direction of the rod-shaped light transmission body.

14. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

an illuminating device including a light source, a rod-shaped light transmission body that has a plurality of prism groups converting light incident from the light source to linear light to output the linear light, and a planer light transmission body that outputs the linear light incident from the rod-shaped light transmission body from a planer light-outputting face thereof in a planer manner, and

a liquid crystal panel, wherein

each prism group of the rod-shaped light transmission body comprises a first prism having a function of totally reflecting the incident light to output the light from the rod-shaped light transmission body, and second and third prisms that are positioned on both sides of the first prism, each of the second and the third prisms having a function of transmitting and deflecting the incident light and having a second face at an angle of about 90°

to the longitudinal direction of the rod-shaped light transmission body.

15. A rod-shaped light transmission body including a plurality of prism groups, each group converting light incident from a light source to linear light to output the linear light, wherein

each prism group comprises a first prism having a function of totally reflecting the incident light to output the light from the rod-shaped light transmission body, and

a plurality of prisms that are positioned on both sides of the first prism, each prism having a function of transmitting and deflecting the incident light and having a second face re-entered at an angle of approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of the rod-shaped light transmission body.

16. A rod-shaped light transmission body that has a prism group converting light incident from a light source to linear light to output the linear light, wherein

the prism group comprises a first prism having a function of totally reflecting the incident light to output the light from the rod-shaped light transmission body, and second and third prisms that are positioned on both sides of the first prism, each of the second and the third prisms having a function of transmitting and deflecting the incident light and having a second face re-entered at an angle approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of the rod-shaped light transmission body.

17. An illuminating device comprising:

a light source;

a rod-shaped light transmission body that has a plurality of prism groups converting light incident from the light source to linear light to output the linear light; and

a planer light transmission body that outputs the linear light incident from the rod-shaped light transmission body from a planer light-outputting face thereof in a planer manner, wherein

each prism group of the rod-shaped light transmission body comprises a first prism having a function of totally reflecting the incident light to output the light from the rod-shaped light transmission body, and

a plurality of prisms that are positioned on both sides of the first prism, each prism having a function of transmitting and deflecting the incident light and having a second face re-entered at an angle approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of the rod-shaped light transmission body.

18. An illuminating device comprising:

a light source;

a rod-shaped light transmission body that has a plurality of prism groups converting light incident from the light source to linear light to output the linear light; and

a planer light transmission body that outputs the linear light incident from the rod-shaped light transmission body from a planer light-outputting face thereof in a planer manner, wherein

each prism group of the rod-shaped light transmission body comprises a first prism having a function of totally reflecting the incident light to output the light from the rod-shaped light transmission body, and

second and third prisms that are positioned on both sides of the first prism, each of the second and the third prisms having a function of transmitting and deflecting the incident light and having a second face re-entered at an angle approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of the rod-shaped light transmission body.

19. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

an illuminating device including a light source, a rod-shaped light transmission body that has a plurality of prism groups converting light incident from the light source to linear light to output the linear light, and a planer light transmission body that outputs the linear light incident from the rod-shaped light transmission body from a planer light-outputting face thereof in a planer manner, and

a liquid crystal panel, wherein

each prism group of the rod-shaped light transmission body comprises a first prism having a function of totally reflecting the incident light to output the light from the rod-shaped light transmission body and a plurality of prisms that are positioned on both sides of the first prism, each prism having a function of transmitting and deflecting the incident light and having a second face re-entered at an angle approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of the rod-shaped light transmission body.

20. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

an illuminating device including a light source, a rod-shaped light transmission body that has a plurality of prism groups converting light incident from the light source to linear light to output the linear light, and a planer light transmission body that outputs the linear light incident from the rod-shaped light transmission body from a planer light-outputting face thereof in a planer manner, and

a liquid crystal panel, wherein

each prism group of the rod-shaped light transmission body comprises a first prism having a function of totally reflecting the incident light to output the light from the rod-shaped light transmission body, and second and third prisms that are positioned on both sides of the first prism, each of the second and the third prisms having a function of transmitting and deflecting the incident light and having a second face re-entered at an angle approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of the rod-shaped light transmission body.