Light guide member and backlight unit including light guide member and methods of fabricating light guide members and backlight units

• US 7,400,817 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2007
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Inventors: Lee, Dong Ho, Lee, Sang Hoon, Cho, Won Ki, Han, Wan Soo, Ko, Ho Seok, Jeong, Jong Kyo, Eum, Hee Chan
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, TINA MEI SENG
• Application Number:
  US11/727,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20080025688A1
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 385/146
• 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 6/0043 provided on the surface of the light guide

Abstract

A light guide member for guiding light received from a light source unit, the light source unit illuminating light toward the light guide member, the light guide member may include a plurality of first grooves on a first side of the light guide member, the first grooves extending along a first direction, and a plurality of first projections projecting from surfaces of the first grooves.

Claims

1. A light guide member for guiding light received from a light source unit, the light source unit illuminating light toward the light guide member, the light guide member comprising:

a plurality of first grooves on a first side of the light guide member, the first grooves extending along a first direction; and

a plurality of first projections projecting from surfaces of the first grooves, the first projections being non-uniformly disposed on the light guide member.

2. The light guide member as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of second grooves on a second side of the light guide member, the second grooves extending along a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

3. The light guide member as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a plurality of second projections formed on surfaces of the second grooves.

4. The light guide member as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second grooves have a cross-section that is substantially V-shaped.

5. The light guide member as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second grooves have at least one of a depth of about 0.0005 mm to about 0.01 mm, a first face having an inclination angle of about 90°

to about 120° and

a second face having an inclination angle of about 30°

to about 45°

.

6. The light guide member as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second grooves are arranged at a pitch of about 0.01 mm to about 0.1 mm.

7. The light guide member as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first direction is substantially perpendicular to a zero-degree radiation angle of the light form the light source.

8. The light guide member as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first projections have at least one of a dot-like projecting shape, a half-spherical hexahedron shape and a polygonal hexahedron shape.

9. The light guide member as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first projections have at least one of a diameter of about 0.001 mm to about 0.1 mm and a height of about 0.001 mm to about 0.01 mm.

10. The light guide member as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light guide member includes a resin.

11. The light guide member as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light guide member includes an acrylic resin and/or a polycarbonate resin.

12. The light guide member as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first grooves have at least one of a depth of about 0.001 mm to about 0.01 mm, a first face having an inclination angle of about 0.5°

to about 10° and

a second face having an inclination angle of about 10°

to about 30°

.

13. The light guide member as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first grooves are arranged at a pitch of about 0.03 mm to about 0.3 mm.

14. The light guide member as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first grooves have a substantially V-like cross-sectional shape.

15. The light guide member as claimed in claim 1, wherein a density of the first projections decreases away from the light source unit.

16. The light guide member as claimed in claim 15, wherein the density of the first projections per unit pixel decreases away from the light source such that a unit pixel closer to the light source is associated with a higher density of the first projections than a unit pixel further away from the light source.

17. The backlight unit (BLU) of a display device including a display panel, the backlight unit comprising:

a light source;

and

a light guide member arranged to receive light from the light source, the light guide member including;

a plurality of first grooves on a first side of the light guide member, the first grooves extending along a first direction, and

a plurality of first projections projecting from surfaces of the first grooves, the first projections being non-uniformly disposed on the light guide member,

wherein the light guide member guides and provides the light received from the light source toward a display panel of the display device.

18. The BLU as claimed in claim 17, wherein the light source includes a cold cathode fluorescent tube and/or a LED.

19. The BLU as claimed in claim 17, further comprising an optical member, the optical member directing light from the light guide member to the display panel.

20. The BLU as claimed in claim 19, further comprising a reflective member for reflecting light incident thereon toward the light guide member, the reflective member and the optical member sandwiching the light guide member therebetween.

21. The BLU as claimed in claim 19, wherein the optical member includes a prism sheet including a plurality of grooves formed on a surface thereof.

22. The BLU as claimed in claim 17, wherein a density of the first projections decreases away from the light source.