Brightness enhancement film having curved prism units

• US 7,448,776 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2004
• Issued: 11/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zhejiang Jinhui Optoelectronic Material Co., Ltd
• Original Assignee: EFUN Technology Company Limited
• Inventors: Tang, Shih-Chieh
• Primary Examiner(s): Amari; Alessandro
• Assistant Examiner(s): CONSILVIO, MARK J
• Application Number:
  US10/882,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20050237641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,593 Days
• Field of Search: 359/831, 359/599, 362/337, 362/339, 362/620
• US Class Current: 362/339
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/045 Prism arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0053 Prismatic sheet or layer; Brightness enhancement element, sheet or layer

Abstract

A brightness enhancement film includes a substrate and a plurality of curved prism units. The curved prism units are extended in parallel and mounted to a surface of the substrate. Each of the curved prism units includes at least one meandering surface to provide with changes in curvature. Thus, the meandering surface of the curved prism unit is able to refract incident light in two dimensions with respect to the substrate that may enhance entire refractive efficiency in two dimensions.

Claims

1. A brightness enhancement film having curved prism units, said brightness enhancement film being arranged to be used in a liquid crystal display, comprising:

a substrate including a first surface and a second surface substantially parallel to said first surface, and vertically transmitting light between the first surface and the second surface; and

a plurality of curved prism units juxtaposed on the first surface of the substrate, each of the curved prism units having a longitudinal direction and including a ridge, a first meandering surface, and a second meandering surface, said first and second meandering surfaces jointly define the ridge and a trough line being defined between any two adjacent curved prism units as a boundary of the adjacent units, said ridge and said meandering surfaces extending and meandering with respect to the longitudinal direction to provide changes in curvature that are able to refract light in two dimensions, wherein directions of said ridge and said meandering surfaces relative to said longitudinal direction vary along a length of each of said prism units,

wherein each of the first meandering surface and the second meandering surface includes a plurality of lateral ridges arranged in staggered manner in the longitudinal direction to provide changes in curvature, with a curvature of each lateral ridge adjacent to either of the ridge or the trough line being smaller than a curvature of each lateral ridge beyond both of the ridge and the trough line.

2. The brightness enhancement film having the curved prism units as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the curved prism units has the same vertical height with respect to the substrate.

3. The brightness enhancement film having the curved prism units as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the curved prism units has substantially the same horizontal width with respect to the substrate so that each route of the two adjacent curved prism units is longitudinally extended in order in a meandering line with respect to the substrate, and substantially juxtaposed on the first surface of the substrate.

4. The brightness enhancement film having the curved prism units as defined in claim 1, wherein the lateral ridges have the same uniform curvature.

5. The brightness enhancement film having the curved prism units as defined in claim 1, wherein the lateral ridges have various curvatures.

6. The brightness enhancement film having the curved prism units as defined in claim 1, wherein the curved prism units has varying horizontal widths with respect to the substrate so that each route of the two adjacent curved prism units is not parallel and extended in haphazard order in a meandering line with respect to the substrate, and substantially juxtaposed on the first surface of the substrate.

7. The brightness enhancement film having the curved prism units as defined in claim 6, wherein the lateral ridges have the same uniform curvature.

8. The brightness enhancement film having the curved prism units as defined in claim 6, wherein the lateral ridges have various curvatures.

9. The brightness enhancement film having the curved prism units as defined in claim 1, wherein the curved prism unit further includes a flat surface adjacent to the meandering surface.

10. The brightness enhancement film having the curved prism units as defined in claim 9, wherein the meandering surfaces of the curved prism units consist of a plurality of lateral ridges arranged in staggered manner in a longitudinal direction to provide changes in curvature.

11. The brightness enhancement film having the curved prism units as defined in claim 10, wherein the lateral ridges have the same uniform curvature.

12. The brightness enhancement film having the curved prism units as defined in claim 10, wherein the lateral ridges have various curvatures.

13. A brightness enhancement film having curved prism units, said brightness enhancement film being arranged to be used in a liquid crystal display, comprising:

a substrate including a first surface and a second surface substantially parallel to said first surface, and vertically transmitting light between the first surface and the second surface; and

a plurality of curved prism units juxtaposed on the first surface of the substrate, each of the curved prism units having a longitudinal direction and including a ridge, a trough line and a meandering surface located between said ridge and said trough line, said ridge and said meandering surface extending and meandering with respect to the longitudinal direction to provide changes in curvature that are able to refract light in two dimensions, wherein directions of said ridge and said meandering surface relative to said longitudinal direction vary along a length of each of said prism units, and

wherein the meandering surface includes a plurality of lateral ridges arranged in the longitudinal direction to provide changes in curvature, with a curvature of each lateral ridge adjacent to either of the ridge or the trough line bean smaller than a curvature of each lateral ridge beyond both of the ridge and the trough line.

14. The brightness enhancement film having the curved prism units as defined in claim 13, wherein said lateral ridges extend downwardly from said ridge to said trough line.

15. The brightness enhancement film having the curved prism units as defined in claim 13, wherein the curved prism units include a first meandering surface and a second meandering surface, and thus each of the first meandering surface and the second meandering surface includes a plurality of lateral ridges arranged in staggered manner along the longitudinal direction to provide changes in curvature, said lateral ridges formed on said first meandering surface and said second meandering surface.

16. The brightness enhancement film having the curved prism units as defined in claim 15, wherein said lateral ridges extend downwardly from said ridge to one of said first rough line and said second trough line.

17. A brightness enhancement film having curved prism units, said brightness enhancement film being arranged to be used in a liquid crystal display, comprising:

a substrate including a first surface and a second surface substantially parallel to said first surface, and vertically transmitting light between the first surface and the second surface;

a plurality of curved prism units juxtaposed on the first surface of the substrate, each of the curved prism units having a longitudinal direction and including a ridge, two trough lines and at least one meandering surface located between said ridge and one of said trough lines, said ridge and said meandering surface extending and meandering with respect to the longitudinal direction to provide changes in curvature that are able to refract light in two dimensions,

wherein directions of said ridge and said meandering surface relative to said longitudinal direction vary along a length of each of said prism units, and

wherein said trough lines define a horizontal width therebetween, each of the curved prism units substantially having the same horizontal width with respect to the substrate so that each route of the two adjacent curved prism units is longitudinally extended in order in a meandering line with respect to the substrate,

wherein the meandering surface includes a plurality of lateral ridges arranged in staggered manner in the longitudinal direction to provide changes in curvature, with a curvature of each lateral ridge adjacent to either of the ridge or the trough line being smaller than a curvature of each lateral ridge beyond both of the ridge and the trough line.

18. A brightness enhancement film having curved prism units, said brightness enhancement film being arranged to be used in a liquid crystal display, comprising:

a substrate including a first surface and a second surface substantially parallel to said first surface, and vertically transmitting light between the first surface and the second surface;

a plurality of curved prism units juxtaposed on the first surface of the substrate, each of the curved prism units having a longitudinal direction and including a ridge, two trough lines and at least one meandering surface located between said ridge and one of said trough line, said ridge and said meandering surface extending and meandering with respect to the longitudinal direction to provide changes in curvature that are able to refract light in two dimensions,

wherein directions of said ridge and said meandering surface relative to said longitudinal direction vary along a length of each of said prism units, and

wherein said trough lines define a horizontal width therebetween, each of the curved prism units varying in horizontal widths with respect to the substrate,

wherein the meandering surface includes a plurality of lateral ridges arranged in staggered manner in the longitudinal direction to provide changes in curvature, with a curvature of each lateral ridge adjacent to either of the ridge or the trough line being smaller than a curvature of each lateral ridge beyond both of the ridge and the trough line.